Thanksgiving week is among the busiest travel times of any given year, and three state agencies are teaming up to ask drivers to be safe as they travel.
The Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas Turnpike Authority are reminding drivers and riders to buckle up. KDOT says over 20 people have died due to Thanksgiving weekend crashes the last five years, and Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed says use of seat belts can reduce wreck-related serious injuries and deaths by nearly 50 percent.
Numerous law enforcement agencies, the Highway Patrol included, will have special traffic enforcement efforts next week.
Meanwhile, the Turnpike Authority is getting ready for increased traffic numbers as it continues its work to finalize cashless tolling systemwide. Areawide, this has seen the installation of gantries over the last two years to read KTAG transponders and license plates for billing purposes over the last two years. More recently, the KTA has removed tollbooth equipment at the Emporia, Admire and Cassoday exits, setting up both cashless and nonstop travel on the Turnpike.
All three agencies ask drivers to make sure their vehicles are ready for the road and those vehicles also have emergency kits including blankets, bottled water, non-perishable food, cell phone charger, ice scraper, jumper cables, flashlight with working batteries and a first-aid kit.
