Virginia State Police Increase Patrols for Memorial Day

Motorists who anticipate enjoying the extended time off from work by traveling on Memorial Day can expect to see an increase in Virginia State Police troopers on the road.

The additional patrols statewide are part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E., (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries associated with speed, failure to wear seatbelts and impaired driving. The state-sponsored, national program encourages law enforcement agencies to increase its visibility and traffic enforcement efforts on major travel holidays. As a result, state police will boost patrols around the Commonwealth through midnight tonight, Monday, May 27.

Virginia State Police will also continue its active participation in the nationwide Click-It-or-Ticket program, through June 2. The statewide traffic safety initiative is a collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies intended to draw attention to improve seat belt use among adults and increase child safety seat use -- with the ultimate goal of saving lives. During the 2011 May Click-It-Or-Ticket enforcement wave, Virginia State Police troopers issued 1,571 summonses for adults failing to wear safety belts and another 507 summonses for child safety restraint violations.

“By not wearing your seat belt, you are taking a gamble with your life -- so why take that risk?” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “Statistics have proven that wearing your seatbelt can help save your life or reduce your chance for injuries in a crash. It should be one of the first things you do when you get into a vehicle. Make the right choice, not just during a holiday weekend, but all year long and buckle up, watch your speed, and drive sober and distraction-free.”

The 2012 Operation C.A.R.E. initiative resulted in 11,577 speeders and 2,997 reckless drivers being stopped, and 137 drunk drivers being taken off the road and arrested. State police also investigated a total of 660 traffic crashes. During the 2012 Memorial Day weekend, 11 individuals lost their lives in traffic crashes statewide – at least ten of them were unbuckled. A total of 12 died in Virginia as a result of traffic crashes over the 2011 Memorial Day weekend and 11 people were killed during the 2010 holiday weekend.

As the Memorial Day holiday comes to a close tonight, please remember to drive safely today -- and every day!

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Drive Responsibly and Save Lives This Holiday Weekend

If you're traveling this Labor Day weekend on Virginia's roadways, you can expect to see stepped up enforcement by the Virginia State Police.

Troopers will provide stationary and roving patrols across the state’s highways as the last holiday weekend of the summer season kicks-off. Last year, Virginia experienced a significant spike in traffic deaths during the Labor Day weekend when 16 people lost their lives during the four-day holiday statistical counting period. In 2010 and 2009, a total of 13 people were killed in traffic crashes during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

To enhance the safety of Virginia’s highways this coming weekend, Virginia State Police will have 75 percent of its uniformed workforce participating in the Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.). Operation C.A.R.E. is an annual, state-sponsored, national program designed to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by impaired driving, speeding and failure to use occupant restraints. As a participating agency, Virginia State Police will increase visibility and traffic enforcement efforts throughout the Commonwealth through midnight Monday, Sept. 3, 2012.

“Virginia heads into this extended holiday weekend with 500 lives already lost to traffic crashes in the year 2012,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “I encourage all motorists to put forth a concerted effort this weekend to make safe driving a priority, so we can save lives rather than sacrifice them because of an individual’s reckless and deadly driving behaviors.”

In 2011, Virginia State Police arrested 110 drunk drivers during the four-day Labor Day weekend. Troopers cited 7,480 speeders and 2,228 reckless drivers. They also issued 701 safety belt violations and 247 tickets to adults who failed to properly secure their infants and children.

With state police’s stepped up enforcement efforts, drivers are also reminded of Virginia’s Move Over law. Motorists need to comply with the law that has been in effect since 2002. It requires drivers to change to another travel lane or, when not able to, to cautiously pass emergency personnel stopped on the side of the road. The law also applies to emergency response vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles and tow trucks equipped with flashing amber lights.

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Virginia State Police Step Up Patrols and Click It or Ticket Enforcement Over the Coming Holiday Weekend

Those traveling this holiday weekend can expect to see more Virginia State Police on the roadways statewide as part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E. traffic enforcement campaign (Word document).

The Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.) is a state-sponsored, national program designed to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints. As a participating agency, State Police will increase its visibility and traffic enforcement efforts throughout the Commonwealth beginning tomorrow, Friday, May 28, at 12:01 a.m. and continuing through midnight, Monday, May 31.

In addition to Operation C.A.R.E., the Virginia State Police is also continuing its active participation in the nationwide Click It or Ticket educational and enforcement effort. The traffic safety project, which runs May 24 through June 6, is aimed at increasing seat belt use in Virginia and ultimately saving lives.

Last year during the holiday weekend, Virginia State Police troopers statewide cited 1,019 seat belt violations. Another 347 summonses were issued for children not being properly secured in either a child safety seat or booster seat.

  For the latest Loudoun County traffic news and information, subscribe to Loudoun County Traffic via your favorite RSS reader, or get Loudoun County Traffic by e-mail.