OPERATION, AIR, LAND & SPEED ENFORCEMENT YIELDS RECORD NUMBER OF DUI ARRESTS ON INTERSTATES 81 & 95
33 DUI Arrests Highest Total Since Program’s Inception
RICHMOND – Operation Air, Land, and Speed returned to Interstates 95 and 81 and yielded 8,152 summonses and arrests during the two-day enforcement operation which took place Saturday, Nov. 1, and ended Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008. The results from this latest traffic safety initiative produced the highest record of drunk-driving arrests for a two-day Operation Air, Land & Speed campaign. The last time Operation Air, Land & Speed focused on I-95 and I-81 was in June where 8,160 violations were cited by Virginia State Police. Despite troopers’ aggressive enforcement efforts, a fatal traffic crash did occur during the evening hours of Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008 along I-81 in Augusta County.
The specialized enforcement yielded 3,527 violations along I-81, which stretches from the Tennessee border to West Virginia. Twelve drunk drivers were arrested and 21 drug/felony arrests were made by state police. Troopers stopped 2,173 speeders and cited 260 reckless drivers. In addition, there were 134 safety belt violations.
Along I-95, which extends from the North Carolina border to Maryland, state police cited 4,625 violations. 21 drunk drivers were arrested and 13 drug/felony arrests were made. State police cited 2,053 drivers for speeding and issued summonses to 650 individuals for reckless driving. In addition, 165 safety belt violations were issued.
This is the eighth time Operation Air, Land & Speed has concentrated on Interstates 95 and 81 since its inception in 2006. It is also the third time in 2008 the two interstate corridors have been the target of specialized enforcement.
“The significant number of DUI arrests by our troopers during this phase of Operation Air, Land and Speed is reflective of the Department’s tough stance regarding the dangers of driving while impaired,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “As the Thanksgiving holiday nears, we urge motorists to make a concerted effort to drive less aggressively and more responsibly. All motorists can expect to see a significant presence of troopers out promoting safety through increased patrols and enforcement.”
Since 2006, this has been the fifteenth Operation Air, Land & Speed enforcement campaign along Virginia’s interstates and brings the total summonses and arrests to 80,694.
The traffic safety enforcement will return to the highway in December with increased patrols along Interstates 64 and 66.
With the increase in troopers on the road during this special enforcement, Virginia State Police would like to remind motorists about Virginia’s Move Over law which requires drivers to change to another travel lane or, when not able to, to slow down and cautiously pass emergency personnel stopped on the side of the road.
