Governor Heineman and State Officials Support MADD Red Ribbon Cammpaign

(Lincoln, NE) - This holiday season Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) units will sport red ribbons in support of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Red Ribbon Campaign. On Wednesday, December 8, 2010, members of the Nebraska State Patrol joined Governor Dave Heineman, First Lady Sally Ganem, Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and other public safety partners to “Tie One On for Safety” during the MADD Red Ribbon Campaign kick-off. The event was held at the Governor’s residence. “The holidays are often deadly times on our roadways,” said Colonel Bryan Tuma, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “It is our goal to engage the motoring public in efforts to save lives by drawing attention to the dangers of impaired driving. Enforcement campaigns and safety initiatives such as the one today play a key role in reducing the potential for fatality crashes.” NSP will also be conducting special enforcement efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roadways as a part of the nationwide “You Drink & Drive You Lose” campaign. Troopers and dispatchers will put in overtime hours during the special enforcement period which began, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 and will continue through Saturday, January 1, 2011. A grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS) helps to pay for the added enforcement. Motorists are also encouraged to pay special attention to the weather when preparing to head out for holiday travel. Travelers are reminded to call 511, the state’s automated road and weather condition information reporting system. The system can also be accessed via the internet at www.511nebraska.org. Individuals outside of Nebraska wanting to check weather and road conditions can dial 1-800-906-9069.