2012 Highway Grants

**Special News Release**
November 16, 2011

2012 Highway Safety Grants

Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister is pleased to announce that the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has received three Federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants administered by the Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety. The combined grants are worth $75,000.00 and approximately $10,000.00 will be utilized for equipment purchases to equip a squad car with a video system and to equip the department motorcycles computer compatible. The remaining $65,000.00 will be used for overtime patrol enforcements to focus on alcohol, speed, and seatbelt violations throughout Sauk County. The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has been authorized to begin working these grant hours during this coming holiday season.

In Wisconsin during 2010, speed related crashes were listed as contributing factor in 18.3% of all crashes, and almost 32.5% of all fatal crashes. During this same time period, alcohol was listed as a contributing factor in 5.2% of all crashes, and 41.4% of all crash fatalities in 2010 were alcohol related. Additionally, 48% of persons killed and 25% of persons sustaining incapacitating injuries in Wisconsin crashes were NOT wearing seatbelts.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office will combine enforcement activities with media blitzes throughout the grant campaign in an effort to gain citizen compliance of safer driving habits and the wearing of seatbelts.

Sheriff Chip Meister