Dec 22, 2007
ON THE ROAD:
State cracks down on unsafe driving
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell yesterday announced that she has directed the Connecticut Department of Public Safety to mount an intense, sustained crackdown on all forms of unsafe driving by deploying extra resources to ensure Connecticut’s highways are as safe as possible.
The saturation effort is focused on some of the most heavily trafficked, crash-plagued sections of state highways, she said.
It especially targets high-risk behaviors such as tailgating, speeding, aggressive driving, DUI, improper lane changes, passing on the right and violations of the state cell phone law.
“This is a long-term, broad-based effort to get at the root of one of the most persistent problems in Connecticut: unsafe and aggressive driving, whether by cars or trucks,” Gov. Rell said. “Everywhere I go, I hear the same complaint — people drive like they’ve lost their minds. The vast majority of Connecticut motorists — who make a point of driving in a safe and sensible manner — are fed up with the small minority who treat our highways like a personal video game, and so am I.”
The Connecticut State Police are patrolling in traditional and non-traditional cruisers, using all forms of speed enforcement (including radar, laser and the stopwatch-assisted method known as VASCAR) as well as patrolling from the air using small planes. The project is being supported by the state Department of Transportation and by the cooperative efforts of state police departments in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.
The enforcement efforts cover all of the state’s major interstate routes and involve all 12 state police barracks. Specific enforcement locations and other details are not being released.
“Our troopers will make every effort to make our highways safe for everyone,” said Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III. “And they will be out in force to accomplish that goal.”
“We will not stand for inconsiderate or aggressive drivers who try to bully their way through traffic or tolerate inattentive drivers who ignore safety laws or chatter on their cell phones instead of paying attention to their surroundings,” Gov. Rell added. “And it should go without saying that drinking and driving is unacceptable.
“This is a continuing effort that will extend well beyond the holidays, though we know the holiday season is one of the busiest driving times of the year,” the governor said. “Certainly we want to sharply reduce the number of accident triggers during a period when we know roads and highways are already likely to be busy, tempers can be short and the weather can be unpredictable. In short, if you’re out there and driving in an unsafe or discourteous manner, count on seeing some red and blue lights in the rear-view mirror — and I don’t mean a festive display in someone’s front yard.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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