When it comes to traffic safety, you commonly hear the three "E's":  education, enforcement, and engineering.  The officers with the Paducah Police Department spend a great deal of time enforcing traffic laws as they patrol the streets.

Traffic Citations

In 2011, the department issued 6791 traffic citations resulting in a total of 10,098 traffic-related charges.  The most common citation issued is for seat belt violations with 2620 issued in 2011.  Second to seat belts, the department issued 1668 charges to people for not having proof of insurance.  The Paducah Police Department contributes to state-wide campaigns such as "Click It or Ticket".  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute, an estimated 85 percent of people used their seat belt in 2010.  Seat belt use has decreased the number of traffic related fatalities.  In 2011, Paducah saw a 6.4 percent reduction in the number of injury collisions and an 11.3 percent drop in the total number of injuries from crashes over 2010's numbers.  That was almost four times the reduction the department had hoped for when safety objectives were set for the 2011 Highway Safety Programs' grant.   

In 2011, the Paducah Police Department issued 1167 speeding citations.  Other citations include disregarding a traffic control device, driving with no operator's license, and DUI.

Traffic Collisions

In Paducah officers are quite aware of the three most dangerous stretches of road:  Hinkleville Road between Interstate 24 and Olivet Church Road, Irvin Cobb Drive on Paducah's southside, and Lone Oak Road.  In 2010, the Paducah Police Department investigated 1658 collisions with 322 of them with injuries.  In the 322 injury collisions, 483 people were injured with a total of three fatalities.  With the abundance of traffic in front of Kentucky Oaks Mall, 51 crashes occurred in that area in 2010.  So what is the most contributing factor regarding crashes in Paducah?  The number one answer is driver inattention followed by failure to yield right-of-way.

DUI Enforcement

The Paducah Police Department is grateful for the grant funding that it receives from the State of Kentucky to conduct targeted traffic and DUI enforcement.  With the grant funding, officers are able to conduct check points and receive training to better detect impaired driving.  In 2010, the department made 260 arrests for Driving Under the Influence.