By Dave Schroeder

A vehicle check was conducted Thursday afternoon in Lexington by members of several law enforcement agencies according to Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Jamey Balthazor. They were assisted by the Lexington Police Department, the Dawson County Sheriff's Office and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. A total of 756 vehicles were checked on Highway 283 and Cattlemen Drive which resulted in 307 citations and warnings being issued. There were 21 people cited for having no operator's license or driving under suspension. Sixty-six citations and warnings were given for seat belt violation and 15 others were cited or warned for having no child restraints. Sgt. Balthazor says the special enforcement effort was partially funded through the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.

In May 2008, the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety identified Dawson County as one of 22 "Priority Counties" in the state eligible for grant funding aimed at reducing fatal and serious injury crashes. The Safety Office found that in the county's 2007 traffic crashes that involved a death or injury, 36% of the occupants in those vehicles were reported as NOT wearing safety belts.

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