LITTLE ROCK (2-20) 

Speeding and aggressive driving behaviors significantly relate to the death of approximately 43,000 people each year on America ’s highways, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). As a CVSA member, the Arkansas Highway Police will join law enforcement agencies in other states in a regional campaign to target and take action on problem drivers.

On Wednesday, February 27, law enforcement officers from the CVSA’s Southern Region of the country will join together to establish a more visible presence on their respective Interstate Highway systems. In addition to Arkansas , states participating in the effort include Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia and West Virginia .

“We want to make it clear that driving defensively and in a cooperative manner creates a  safer driving environment for all motorists on the road,” said Arkansas Highway Police (AHP) Chief Ron Burks. “We will be looking for unsafe driving habits by drivers of commercial and passenger vehicles, and AHP officers will be isuing citations as needed along Interstates 30 and 40 in Arkansas .”

According to CVSA research, most fatal crashes stem from decisions or actions made by the driver. “Drivers need to remember that driving safely is literally in their hands,” said Burks.

Law enforcement officials say that the objectives of  the driver safety campaign will include a heightened awareness of:

• General safe driving practices;
• Increasing safety belt usage;
• Increasing regulatory compliance for drivers and vehicles; and,
• The importance of the presence of law enforcement.

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