Indiana State Police are working to decrease fatal crashes

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Indiana State Police have been working hard to reduce the number of fatal car crashes since they launched their Crash Reduction Program and Trooper Weslee Ennis said they are taking big steps to save lives.

"What we're doing to try and bring fatal crashes down is upping patrols," Trooper Ennis said. "We aren't only stopping for speed, we are stopping for other violations such as following too closely, which is one of the biggest reasons for crashes in the state of Indiana right now. People don't realize that if a deer or anything happens in front of a vehicle that's in front of them if they hit their brakes, they have a split second to react."

Trooper Ennis said the reason for most of these fatal crashes is people are just distracted while driving or zoning out behind the wheel. He said just being aware of your surroundings is crucial.

"If you focus on the road, you're going to be able to focus on what's coming at you a lot easier than if you're on your cell phone trying to drive or changing the station on the radio," Trooper Ennis said. "Something as simple as that could be something that saves your life."

Troopers say a lot of people they pull over don't realize how fast they're going.

"I actually thought I was doing 70 but he said he got me at 79 so I guess I just wasn't paying attention to the speedometer," one driver that Ennis pulled over said.

Trooper Ennis said they aren't out there to be the bad guys by writing tickets but keeping drivers safe is their number one priority and they will do what's necessary to prevent fatal crashes.

"There's a lot that happens on the roadway. It's not just jumping behind the wheel, putting your seat belt on, throwing it in drive and just going," Trooper Ennis said.