CLEARWATER
POLICE HERALD A SEASON OF SAFETY
POLICE
TO TARGET AGGRESSIVE/DRUNKEN DRIVING THROUGHOUT HOLIDAYS
Clearwater
Police will launch Friday a series of high-profile highway safety
enforcement operations intended to make holiday travel safer for
motorists in central Pinellas County.
The
series of strict enforcement details, aimed at combating Driving
Under the Influence (DUI) and aggressive driving, will commence
November 24 (the day after Thanksgiving) at 10 a.m. with an ADDS
detail targeting major traffic arteries in the city of Clearwater.
ADDS
is the Aggressive Driving Detection & Suppression campaign,
which began in July 1999, that is designed to reduce a perceived
increase in motorists who drive aggressively, putting both other
motorists and pedestrians at risk, according to Clearwater Police
Traffic Section Commander Lieutenant Steve Burch.
"Anecdotal
evidence suggests that ‘aggressive driving’ has become one of
the greatest hazards on the highways today," Lt. Burch said.
He described aggressive driving as that of a motorist who commits
multiple hazardous moving violations within a defined time-frame
and distance. "For instance, aggressive driving infractions
include speeding, following too closely (‘tail-gating’), violating
the right of way, cutting from lane-to-lane, running a red light
or a stop sign, and other hazardous actions," he said.
Lt.
Burch said the Traffic Section will conduct numerous safety operations
throughout the holidays, including DUI "wolf pack" enforcement
- augmented with a BATmobile (blood-alcohol testing van) – on
weekends (except for Friday, December 8) when traffic is expected
to be heaviest.
Clearwater
Police will also conduct several DUI-identification saturation
patrols during the holidays, and the DUI Team will be supported
by members of the Traffic Enforcement Team and the Patrol Division.
Lt. Burch said motorists may expect to see high-visibility, DUI
"wolf pack" enforcement on Friday, December 22 and Friday,
December 29, and a city-wide DUI saturation patrol on Sunday,
December 31, New Year’s Eve.
"According
to AAA (Auto Club South), more than 31 million Americans will
travel by car this holiday season, including more than 2 million
motorists in Florida," Lt. Burch said. "Statistically,
a large number of them will be impaired, and with the pressures
associated with travel and the holidays, a significant number
of them will be driving dangerously. It’s our intent to identify
and curb those people to ensure the safety of everyone."
For
more information or specifics about the holiday safety campaign,
please contact Lt. Steve Burch at 727-562-4161 or Sergeant Robert
Wierzba at 727-562-4338.
/s/
Lieutenant Steve Burch
Commander – Traffic Section