KU officers to participate in crackdown on drunken driving, other traffic violations

LAWRENCE – University of Kansas Public Safety officers will participate in a crackdown on drunken and impaired drivers with almost 150 other local police agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The additional enforcement is set through Sept. 3 and is intended to educate the public about impaired driving and remove impaired drivers from the roadways. Known as "You Drink. You Drive. You Lose," the crackdown is underwritten by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. The grant also funds additional enforcement on seat belt usage.

KU also has programs to reach out to students regarding alcohol education, including drunken driving. The Jayhawk Buddy System at KU is a protective campaign, designed to a) encourage students to engage in protective behaviors around the high-risk activities of celebratory drinking and typical weekend drinking, and b) establish social norms that encourage students to intervene with their buddies, around their drinking behavior, before negative incidents (i.e., injury or arrest) occur.