Published: August 23, 2008 12:00 am            

'Mass saturation' highlights safety

Highway Patrol stops drivers near Lake Thunderbird

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted safety checks at three locations in Cleveland County Saturday night.

"We're just out here trying to make the roadways as safe as they can be," said Capt. Chris West, public information officer for the OHP.

West described the process as "mass saturation." About 30-40 OHP troopers and deputies from the Cleveland and Oklahoma counties sheriff's departments were in the field Saturday evening.

"I can't tell you the last time we did one of this magnitude," West said.

The troopers and deputies stopped drivers and ran their licenses through the system looking for suspensions or outstanding warrants. They also checked for physical safety of the vehicles, such as working lights and up-to-date registration, and they looked for alcohol violations.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department provided kiosks that checked license information wirelessly so personnel could check for valid drivers licenses and outstanding warrants at the site, instead of calling them in, said Capt. Doug Blaine, public information officer for the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department.

"First time it's being used down here," he said of the kiosks.

The checks happened in three locations from about 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., but the locations floated throughout Cleveland County, focusing on Interstate 35, State Highway 9 and Lake Thunderbird.

When asked about the locations, West said many people go to the lake and drink and then get in their cars and drive home.

"We hope that people would be responsible, but we know that some aren't," he said.

In addition to the three license and safety check locations, OHP patrols were stepped up all around Lake Thunderbird. Boat patrols at the lake were accompanied by some air patrols of the highway, West said.

"So kind of a land, air and sea deal," he said.

The goal, West said, is to make the roads safe and save lives. So far this year, there have been 29 fewer traffic fatalities in Oklahoma than last year. By this point in 2007, there were 459 fatalities. So far this year there are only 430. West said the OHP wants to keep that number down.

Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com

        

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