STEUBEN COUNTY, IN (WTVB) – If you travel to the south of Branch County, don’t drink and drive and watch your temper when you get behind the wheel.
The Indiana State Police says they have stepped up patrols to help curb dangerous and aggressive driving with an enforcement campaign running through Monday, March 21, 2022.
The safety initiative is designed to reduce crashes and traffic fatalities and to promote safe driving around St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Tournament.
It also comes at a time when roadway deaths continue to climb across the state and nation.
Officers will be conducting high-visibility patrols and will show zero tolerance for anyone driving aggressively, over the speed limit or under the influence.
The extra enforcement is funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
In Indiana, preliminary data shows that 941 people died in fatal crashes last year. While that’s up five percent from 2020, it’s a 16 percent increase from pre-pandemic 2019 and represents the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2005.
Substance abuse impairment, distracted driving, speeding and not wearing seat belts are some of the leading causes behind the rise in fatalities.
Motorists are encouraged to call 911 if they encounter an impaired or unsafe driver on the road.
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