The Traffic Services Section provides professional traffic safety services within the city. These efforts are accomplished through education, technology and enforcement. Problem solving will include the community to address traffic concerns. The goal of the section is to help reduce the number of collisions citywide through an aggressive enforcement program, educational efforts and in cooperation with the city engineers.
Traffic officers are responsible for enforcing traffic laws and investigating crashes that occur on all city and state roadways. The types of investigations conducted include incidents such as hit and run accidents, D.W.I., fatalities, or any situation involving serious injury or death resulting from a traffic collision. Officers are on-call 24 hours a day. The section is called upon to handle all fatalities that occur within the City of Kenner. Officers also conduct school zone speed enforcement.
Traffic officers also participate in public safety awareness programs such as:
The Kenner Police Department has certified technicians for installing child safety seats. Technicians assist the Louisiana State Police, Troop B, on Wednesdays when personnel numbers permit. There are no appointments needed at LSP. They will install the seat or check it on a first come first served basis.
Traffic Officers receive training in basic crash investigation, including scale mapping of scenes and basic mathematics for use in speed computation based on skid and damage data. The Traffic Services Section also receives further training in Traffic Crash Reconstruction, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, certification as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing instructors and Police Traffic Radar instructors.
Several new traffic laws were adopted in the latest Louisiana Legislative session. Some of those new laws go into effect on January 1, 2021 are listed below.
New Seat Belt Rules
LRS 32:295.1(B) has been amended to require that all motor vehicle occupants who are 13 years of age or older shall wear a seat belt.
New Rules for Highway Lanes
LRS 32:71(B)(1) and LRS 32:71(C), (D), and (E) relate to lane usage on multi-lane highways throughout the state. Specifically, these statutes restrict vehicles to driving in the left-hand lane on multi-lane highways; to provide for a restriction regarding the speed of a vehicle traveling in a left-hand lane; and to provide for related matters.
Basically, these statutes aim to restrict the left-hand lane for passing. If you are driving in the left-hand lane and are not in the process of passing another vehicle or exiting the highway, you can be ticketed.
Enhanced DWI Laws
Several new laws strengthen the penalties for driving while intoxicated and increase the penalties for refusing to take a breathalyzer exam.
House Bill (HB) 445 provides that all Louisianans agree to provide a breath sample when property requested, as a condition of receiving a Louisiana driver’s license. With this new law, drivers’ license suspension penalties for refusing the breathalyzer will double from 180 days to 1 year on the 1st offense and increase from 18 months to 2 years on the 2nd offense.
