Need4Speed
08-24-2005, 04:25 AM
Patrolmen begin new efforts to slow speeders
CARTERET COUNTY — North Carolina State Highway Patrolmen will be out in force over the next few months in highly publicized attempts to save lives.
Their efforts will include portions of several safety programs from "Booze it and lose it" and "Click it or ticket" checkpoints to stop impaired drivers and those driving without seat belts, "Operation Slow Down" to curtail speeders and "Move Over" to get people to slow down and move to a far lane when there are police, fire, rescue and wreckers on the side of the road.
"We’ll be out enforcing ‘booze it and lose it’ and with good reason — because it’s dangerous," said N.C. State Highway Patrol 1st Sgt. Bronnie "B.J." Jones in Morehead City. "It started August 19 for three weeks — all the way until September 4."
Area troopers will be working with local law enforcement, military police and other agencies to place special emphasis on these checkpoints that will also reveal who isn’t wearing seat belts, who needs to update their registration or inspection and could even locate people with outstanding warrants who are wanted by police.
"Labor Day is coming up and it’s a big day at the beach," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "The two people killed Tuesday (on Highway 58) — both of them were not wearing seat belts. It was a head-on collision and those are always bad, but in the 20 years I’ve done this, seat belts have helped a lot of people."
Officers said that even good drivers need to wear their seat belts as a protection against other drivers who might make bad decisions that could instantly put them in danger.
"You could be driving down the road, minding your own business and doing everything right except wearing your seat belts," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "If somebody pulls out right in front of you, what’s going to help you except your seat belt and your air bags?"
In Carteret County, the state’s "Operation Slow Down" is scheduled to begin in earnest next month as a way cut down on the number of collisions, injuries and fatalities.
According to State Highway Patrol statistics, since 1999 the number of speeders driving over 100 mph has nearly doubled and overall speeding has increased 147 percent.
In Carteret County accidents on U.S. Highways like 70 actually went down over the first six months of the year from 94 last year to 75 over the same time frame this year.
Accidents on N.C. roads in the county like Highways 24 or 101 went down slightly from 86 to 84 during the same time frame, but accidents on rural paved roads are up from 101 over the first half of last year to 111 this year — an increase of nearly 10 percent.
"The number of collisions is down 16 from 376 during the first half of 2004 to 360 during the same time frame this year," 1st Sgt. Jones said.
But comparing the first half of 2004 to the first half of 2005 in Carteret County, driving while impaired citations are up 15 from 246 to 261, speeding tickets are up 673 from 1,865 to 2,538 and total citations are up 1,583 from 5,908 to 7,491, 1st Sgt. Jones said.
"Obviously we’re doing our part, but people are not getting the message," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "The worst day for accidents is Friday and the worst time is between 2 and 6 p.m. That normally is the highest time frame throughout the week."
To cover this block of time more efficiently, their early shift usually stays a little longer into the afternoon and their late shift usually comes in a little earlier so there is an overlap during peak hours.
"The number one cause of accidents is failure to reduce speed, which a lot of times is following too close or just speeding," said 1st Sgt. Jones who added that the statistics are relatively consistent throughout the state.
"Operation Slow Down" will be reaching the county next month, focusing on September 12 through 18.
"We’re going to start in Carteret County in September — not checkpoints — but more patrols on the worst roads for speeding and we’re only taking urgent calls during that time frame."
But an ongoing problem is that people don’t seem to know or heed is the "Move Over" law that requires motorists to approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder within 12 feet of the roadway with its lights flashing.
Motorists are required to change lanes away from the emergency vehicle on a multi-lane highway or slow down on a two-lane highway, according to General Statue 20-157.
Still, since January 1, 2002, when the "Move Over" law went into effect, 72 troopers have been struck either in or out of their patrol cars, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
August 11 on Highway 301 near the Highway 59 exit just south of Fayetteville, Trooper M.G. McLamb was standing on the driver’s side of a vehicle he just stopped and when he turned to return to his patrol car he was struck by a motorist who failed to move over and decrease speed.
Trooper McLamb was treated and released at a nearby hospital and a spokesman for the Highway Patrol said the motorist returned to scene and was charged with careless and reckless driving.
Wednesday a pair of accidents surrounding Highway Patrolmen brought home the danger of their duties and claimed the life of one officer.
According to the N.C. State Highway Patrol, Trooper M. D. Henry and Trooper L.W. McCall were parked in the median of Highway 23 in Macon County — investigating a one-car collision.
Both vehicles had their emergency lights on when a Ford Expedition travelling east on Highway 23 lost control in the rain, ran off the road into the median and struck a stopped pick-up truck that was involved in an earlier accident.
The driver hit two people changing a tire on the truck who were injured and transported to the hospital and hit one of the patrol cars, but fortunately both troopers were unhurt.
According to the Highway Patrol, the driver of the Expedition was cited for violating the move over law and for careless and reckless driving.
Missouri state trooper Jay Sampietro was not so lucky near Stafford Wednesday when he was hit on I-44 and later died from severe head and leg injuries as he was attempting to direct traffic around other troopers who were investigating an earlier accident that killed four people.
Tragically, his widow Jennifer is a dispatcher for the Highway Patrol and was on duty when the crash occurred. The couple has two sons — aged 4 years and 10 months.
In recognition of the serious problem, in July, Gov. Mike Easley signed an amendment to the Move Over law, which increases the penalty from $125 to $250, and more serious charges could be issued depending on the severity of an accident or injury. It is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2006.
Area officers have simple advice that is sometimes difficult to follow.
"Troopers have to watch their back as much as the people we’re stopping," said 1st Sgt. Jones who asked for help from the public. "With the summer tourist season and beach crowds, the traffic gets congested and people get frustrated. People need to slow down and take their time."
Source:BY ERIC STEINKOPFF
NEWS-TIMES
CARTERET COUNTY — North Carolina State Highway Patrolmen will be out in force over the next few months in highly publicized attempts to save lives.
Their efforts will include portions of several safety programs from "Booze it and lose it" and "Click it or ticket" checkpoints to stop impaired drivers and those driving without seat belts, "Operation Slow Down" to curtail speeders and "Move Over" to get people to slow down and move to a far lane when there are police, fire, rescue and wreckers on the side of the road.
"We’ll be out enforcing ‘booze it and lose it’ and with good reason — because it’s dangerous," said N.C. State Highway Patrol 1st Sgt. Bronnie "B.J." Jones in Morehead City. "It started August 19 for three weeks — all the way until September 4."
Area troopers will be working with local law enforcement, military police and other agencies to place special emphasis on these checkpoints that will also reveal who isn’t wearing seat belts, who needs to update their registration or inspection and could even locate people with outstanding warrants who are wanted by police.
"Labor Day is coming up and it’s a big day at the beach," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "The two people killed Tuesday (on Highway 58) — both of them were not wearing seat belts. It was a head-on collision and those are always bad, but in the 20 years I’ve done this, seat belts have helped a lot of people."
Officers said that even good drivers need to wear their seat belts as a protection against other drivers who might make bad decisions that could instantly put them in danger.
"You could be driving down the road, minding your own business and doing everything right except wearing your seat belts," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "If somebody pulls out right in front of you, what’s going to help you except your seat belt and your air bags?"
In Carteret County, the state’s "Operation Slow Down" is scheduled to begin in earnest next month as a way cut down on the number of collisions, injuries and fatalities.
According to State Highway Patrol statistics, since 1999 the number of speeders driving over 100 mph has nearly doubled and overall speeding has increased 147 percent.
In Carteret County accidents on U.S. Highways like 70 actually went down over the first six months of the year from 94 last year to 75 over the same time frame this year.
Accidents on N.C. roads in the county like Highways 24 or 101 went down slightly from 86 to 84 during the same time frame, but accidents on rural paved roads are up from 101 over the first half of last year to 111 this year — an increase of nearly 10 percent.
"The number of collisions is down 16 from 376 during the first half of 2004 to 360 during the same time frame this year," 1st Sgt. Jones said.
But comparing the first half of 2004 to the first half of 2005 in Carteret County, driving while impaired citations are up 15 from 246 to 261, speeding tickets are up 673 from 1,865 to 2,538 and total citations are up 1,583 from 5,908 to 7,491, 1st Sgt. Jones said.
"Obviously we’re doing our part, but people are not getting the message," 1st Sgt. Jones said. "The worst day for accidents is Friday and the worst time is between 2 and 6 p.m. That normally is the highest time frame throughout the week."
To cover this block of time more efficiently, their early shift usually stays a little longer into the afternoon and their late shift usually comes in a little earlier so there is an overlap during peak hours.
"The number one cause of accidents is failure to reduce speed, which a lot of times is following too close or just speeding," said 1st Sgt. Jones who added that the statistics are relatively consistent throughout the state.
"Operation Slow Down" will be reaching the county next month, focusing on September 12 through 18.
"We’re going to start in Carteret County in September — not checkpoints — but more patrols on the worst roads for speeding and we’re only taking urgent calls during that time frame."
But an ongoing problem is that people don’t seem to know or heed is the "Move Over" law that requires motorists to approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder within 12 feet of the roadway with its lights flashing.
Motorists are required to change lanes away from the emergency vehicle on a multi-lane highway or slow down on a two-lane highway, according to General Statue 20-157.
Still, since January 1, 2002, when the "Move Over" law went into effect, 72 troopers have been struck either in or out of their patrol cars, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
August 11 on Highway 301 near the Highway 59 exit just south of Fayetteville, Trooper M.G. McLamb was standing on the driver’s side of a vehicle he just stopped and when he turned to return to his patrol car he was struck by a motorist who failed to move over and decrease speed.
Trooper McLamb was treated and released at a nearby hospital and a spokesman for the Highway Patrol said the motorist returned to scene and was charged with careless and reckless driving.
Wednesday a pair of accidents surrounding Highway Patrolmen brought home the danger of their duties and claimed the life of one officer.
According to the N.C. State Highway Patrol, Trooper M. D. Henry and Trooper L.W. McCall were parked in the median of Highway 23 in Macon County — investigating a one-car collision.
Both vehicles had their emergency lights on when a Ford Expedition travelling east on Highway 23 lost control in the rain, ran off the road into the median and struck a stopped pick-up truck that was involved in an earlier accident.
The driver hit two people changing a tire on the truck who were injured and transported to the hospital and hit one of the patrol cars, but fortunately both troopers were unhurt.
According to the Highway Patrol, the driver of the Expedition was cited for violating the move over law and for careless and reckless driving.
Missouri state trooper Jay Sampietro was not so lucky near Stafford Wednesday when he was hit on I-44 and later died from severe head and leg injuries as he was attempting to direct traffic around other troopers who were investigating an earlier accident that killed four people.
Tragically, his widow Jennifer is a dispatcher for the Highway Patrol and was on duty when the crash occurred. The couple has two sons — aged 4 years and 10 months.
In recognition of the serious problem, in July, Gov. Mike Easley signed an amendment to the Move Over law, which increases the penalty from $125 to $250, and more serious charges could be issued depending on the severity of an accident or injury. It is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2006.
Area officers have simple advice that is sometimes difficult to follow.
"Troopers have to watch their back as much as the people we’re stopping," said 1st Sgt. Jones who asked for help from the public. "With the summer tourist season and beach crowds, the traffic gets congested and people get frustrated. People need to slow down and take their time."
Source:BY ERIC STEINKOPFF
NEWS-TIMES