PA - Smooth Operator Enforcment Aug 5 - Aug 11th

Second Wave of Aggressive Driving Crackdown Results in 19,000 Citations,
Arrests

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 19,000
aggressive drivers felt the pinch in their wallets in July and now police
departments across the state are warning would-be aggressive drivers that
they'll be looking for them again during the third wave of Smooth Operator
enforcement, which runs from Aug. 5-11.
More than 150 municipal police departments and the Pennsylvania State
Police will be patrolling the highways and issuing citations during Smooth
Operator, which targets aggressive driving, the leading cause of highway
fatalities in Pennsylvania. Last year, 909 of the state's 1,525 traffic
fatalities were related to aggressive driving.
During the second wave of enforcement in July, police issued 19,014
citations and made 362 arrests. Police cited 15,089 people for aggressive
driving, such as speeding, tailgating, running red lights or stop signs and
making unsafe lane changes. Roads were targeted based on statistics that
showed a high frequency of aggressive-driving crashes.
In addition, 774 citations were issued for failure to wear a seat belt;
3,151 citations were issued for other traffic violations.
PennDOT is investing $2 million in the Smooth Operator program to
support police training, overtime and equipment, such as wireless infrared
speed detectors.
Smooth Operator enforcement will continue with a fourth wave Sept.
2-15.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Below is a list of participating counties and the total
citations and arrests by municipal departments and Pennsylvania State
Police troops during the second Smooth Operator wave. For more specific
information, contact local PennDOT safety press officers.
Allegheny County 1,791 Schuylkill County 852
Armstrong County 45 Somerset County 78
Beaver County 170 Washington County 377
Berks County 514 Westmoreland County 209
Blair County 132 York County 490
Bucks County 917
Butler County 502 Municipal Statewide Total 13,494
Cambria County 330
Centre County 254 Troop A 360
Chester County 616 Troop B 476
Cumberland County 392 Troop C 478
Dauphin County 723 Troop D 308
Delaware County 1,010 Troop E 290
Erie County 202 Troop F 556
Fayette County 192 Troop G 472
Lackawanna County 94 Troop H 324
Lancaster County 407 Troop J 495
Lawrence County 19 Troop K 173
Lebanon County 26 Troop L 455
Lehigh County 187 Troop M 212
Luzerne County 492 Troop N 472
Lycoming County 239 Troop P 399
Mercer County 107 Troop R 412
Monroe County 100
Montgomery County 1,755 PSP Statewide Total 5,882
Northampton County 272

CONTACT: Alison Wenger
(717) 783-8800


SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation