Saturday, November 9, 2024

Expect more state troopers on Virginia’s highways this weekend

Virginia State Police car. (WYDaily/File photo)
Virginia State Police car. (WYDaily/File photo)

Drivers in Hampton Roads and across Virginia will see more state troopers than usual on the commonwealth’s highways for Memorial Day weekend.

Beginning Friday, Virginia State Police will join law enforcement around the country for Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort), a program intended to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries because of impaired driving, speeding or failing to wear a seat belt.

During last year’s Memorial Day weekend, Virginia troopers arrested 109 drunk drivers, cited 10,337 speeders and 2,395 reckless drivers, and issued 250 citations for child-seat violations, state police said. Troopers also cited 820 people for not wearing a seat belt.

This year’s Memorial Day weekend falls during the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, and state troopers will be vigilant in their efforts to increase seat belt usage for travelers of all ages, state police said. The two-week enforcement initiative runs through June 3.

Already this year, 280 people — including drivers, passengers, motorcyclists and pedestrians — have died on Virginia’s highways, state police said.

“Last year, 843 people were killed on Virginia’s highways. On average, that’s more than two people a day, 16 people a week and 70 people a month. But no matter how you count these tragic incidents, there are just too many,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police superintendent. “The sad fact is that many traffic crashes are preventable, but in order to prevent them we all have to do our part by buckling up, complying with speed limits, eliminating distractions and never driving impaired.”

Of those 843 people killed last year, 351 were not wearing a seat belt.

State police also are reminding drivers of Virginia’s “Move Over” law, which requires drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped alongside the road. If driver’s can’t move over, they should slow down and cautiously pass the emergency vehicle. The law also applies to workers in vehicles equipped with amber lights.

From 2008 to 2017 nationwide, 126 law-enforcement officers working along the roadside were struck by a vehicle because a driver failed to heed the “Move Over” law, state police said.

Bryan DeVasher
Bryan DeVasherhttp://wydaily.com
Bryan DeVasher is the managing editor-digital of WYDaily. A resident of Hampton Roads for more than two decades, he has worked for news organizations in Virginia, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. He most recently was a member of the public relations staff for Virginia State Police.

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