(COVINGTON, La.) — Traffic and traffic accidents have become a pressing issue around Covington and the rest of St. Tammany Parish. In order to combat and reduce these accidents, steps have been taken to ensure the safety of citizens.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office was granted 194,230 dollars by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission in order to reduce the number of fatal vehicle crashes around the state. The money will be distributed to many different causes, such as seat belt-enforcement, DWI patrols, and problems surrounding underage drinking and driving. There will also be an increase in deputy patrols in neighborhoods and roadways over weekends and holidays because statistics show that’s when most alcohol-related crashes occur.

“Our goal is to save lives by using these funds to raise awareness with the goal of reducing the number of fatal and injury related crashes in St. Tammany… if you choose to consume alcohol, don’t drive. Have a designated driver or call a cab. If all options fail, call us and we will find you a safe ride,” said the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Department.

These efforts to combat vehicle crashes are relevant to the St. Paul’s community as well. On Sept. 13 2019, Mayor Mark Johnson introduced the “Slow Your Roll” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to remind drivers of how fast they are going. Around 250 yellow and black signs have been placed around Covington in accordance with the initiative.

An estimated 15,000 cars drive into and out of Covington on weekdays, a pressing issue as Mayor Johnson added that some streets in Covington have been here for over a century and were not made for this amount of traffic. He also said it is not his preference to have police issue tickets to combat speeding. Instead, he’d much rather persuade people away from the fast-paced culture that can create hazards while driving. “We’ll do it to protect our citizens and our children,” Johnson noted. “But we want to get the word out, to let people know ‘Hey slow down.’ That’s what we’re trying to do here.”

People can pick up their own “Slow Your Roll” yard signs at the Covington Trailhead or Covington City Hall.