GHSA Chair Cites Drowsy Police as Highway Safety Issue

The newly elected chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) says drowsy police are “an emerging highway safety issue.”

Col. Jim Champagne told a meeting of the GHSA in Washington, D.C. last week that he will use his position to bring attention to the impact of drowsy driving on law enforcement. Champagne said that in Louisiana overworked police officers are not getting enough sleep.
“We continue to ask more and more of law enforcement. This results in an increase in overtime and our police officers simply are not getting enough sleep and this deprivation may cause them to crash or at a minimum be strained and less effective. As a former trooper and later a chief of staff for the Louisiana State Police, this is also a personal issue for me and one that must be addressed if we are to truly support our country's law enforcement personnel," Champagne said.
Champagne is chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association, the organization that represents state highway safety agencies. His remarks came as he outlined his priorities for the organization.
Champagne served as executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and Governor's Highway Safety Representative since 1996.
For more information, visit www.ghsa.org.