Police to Patrol Capital Beltway Aug. 8-10 for 'Drive to Save Lives'

Maryland and Virginia State Police join forces this weekend along the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) for a three-day traffic campaign to promote the national Drive to Save Lives initiative.

Motorcycle troopers will be on the lookout for aggressive, reckless and texting drivers in both states beginning Aug. 8 through Aug. 10.

The campaign brings together state police and highway patrol leaders, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the U.S. Department of Transportation in an effort to reduce highway fatalities by 15 percent in 2014. The campaign focuses on speeding, reckless driving, seat belt usage, distracted driving and impaired driving, according to a news release.

“As summer begins to wind down and families try to squeeze in one last vacation before students head back to school, this enforcement effort is about reminding motorists of the importance of traffic safety,” said Sgt. James L. Kirkpatrick, Virginia State Police Fairfax Division Motors Unit commander. “The stepped up enforcement and troopers’ presence are to make the Capital Beltway safer for all vehicles.”

As of Aug. 5, 375 people have died in traffic crashes on Virginia highways and 217 have died on highways in Maryland. More than 33,000 deaths occur on the nation’s highways every year, making highway fatalities one of the top 12 causes of death in the United States.

Image: Courtesy Virginia State Police Department