Officer Recognized for Participation in Aggressive Driving Program

Colonial Regional Police and one of the department's officers, Justin Schippang, were recently recognized for their participation in the 2010 Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project.

Launched in 2006, the project is a statewide partnership consisting of municipal police departments, state police, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other community groups and organizations, according to stopaggressivedriving.org.

In 2010,  conducted four "waves" -- staying on the lookout for aggressive drivers -- in a coordinated effort with more than 300 municipal police departments and state police.

The department held aggressive driving enforcement activities in Hanover Township on Route 512 between Hanoverville Road and Route 22, and on Schoenersville Road between Airport Road and Eighth Avenue. In addition, officers focused their attention on Nazareth Pike and Easton-Nazareth Highway in Lower Nazareth Township.

During each wave, officers kept their eyes out for drivers who were speeding, tailgating, changing lanes in an unsafe manner, running red lights or stop signs, or driving in other aggressive ways.

During the 2010 enforcement activities across Pennsylvania, officers wrote out 154,642 aggressive-driving-related citations, which included 73,108 speeding tickets.

There were also 36,136 citations for disobeying traffic control devices or signs, 171 felony arrests, 1,683 DUI arrests and 553 drug-related arrests.

For Colonial Regional Police alone, according to the department's 2010 annual report, there were:

261 vehicles contacted
131 speeding violations
1 careless driving violation
1 improper passing violation
5 improper turning violations
42 traffic control signal violations
9 seatbelt violations
26 obedience to traffic control devices violations
1 suspended citation
1 motorcycle citation
20 "other" citations

For a department to be recognized, according to Joe O'Donnell, the coordinator for "Region 3," it nominates an officer -- or even an administrative staff member -- whose contributions helped make the program a success.

"Colonial Regional has been a valuable resource to the Lehigh Valley," added O'Donnell.

Region 3 consists of the counties of Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill.

For more information on The Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project, go to stopaggressivedriving.org/PA-Aggressive-Driving/