INDIANAPOLIS — Law enforcement officers are stepping up patrols to get dangerous and aggressive drivers off the streets. More than 200 state and local agencies will start an initiative Friday, Feb. 25 to reduce crashes around St. Patrick's Day and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), officers will be showing zero tolerance for people driving aggressively, over the speed limit, or under the influence. Funds from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants will make the extra patrols possible.
Deadly traffic crashes are on the rise across Indiana and the United States, ICJI reports.
"Last year, Indiana saw more traffic fatalities than we've seen in over a decade, and it doesn’t appear to be improving," said ICJI Executive Director Devon McDonald. "So far this year, fatal crashes in Indiana have claimed the lives of 2.5 people every day on average with over 100 lives lost already. It's going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to turn this around."
NHTSA projects that an estimated 31,720 people were killed on U.S. roadways in the first nine months of 2021, a 12% increase from the same period in 2020.
The enhanced patrols will be out through Monday, March 21.
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