Fairfax County Police will be cracking down on aggressive driving this summer.
The new safety campaign Operation Summer HEAT (Help Eliminate Aggressive Driving) will run from Friday through Sept. 3, according to a Fairfax County Police Department press release. Officers will be specifically looking for violations such as reckless driving, speeding, improper passing, failure to obey stop lights and signs and following too closely.
“Clearly, motorists in Fairfax County have very busy lives and are often frustrated with heavy traffic,” Capt. Susan Culin, commander of the Traffic Division, said.
The program will have three segments with major enforcement waves in June, July and August. Some police cruisers will also have Summer HEAT magnets on them to remind drivers to practice safe driving habits.
This program is being instituted after a rise in the number of tickets written for safety violations between 2010 and 2011. In 2011, 142,263 drivers were cited for traffic safety violations, a 1,621 ticket increase from the previous year.
If convicted, demerit points remained on a driver’s DMV record. Improper passing, failure to obey lights and signs and improper passing warrant three demerit points. Following too closely earns four demerit points, which remains on a driving record for three years, and reckless driving can earn up to six points.
“Just one fender bender caused by an aggressive driver makes a difficult situation even worse; we’re trying to do something about this ongoing problem,” Culin said.
Most Tailgaters are stupid or aggressive...please crack down...hey lots of extra revenue for fairfax county :)
for T Alshire - What would you have to say/think if you are the person who discovers that you need to be in the right lane for the next exit coming too quickly. blankity-blank to the car beside you who closes up so that you can't get in to exit!
1. Just because your blinker is on does not mean I have to slam on my brakes to let you in. If you can't plan your route any better then you deserve to miss your turn. 2. HANG UP YOUR DARN CELLPHONE AND DRIVE 3. If you are afraid to go 1 mph over the speed limit get the *(&^(*&^&*( in the right lane 4. If it ever comes down to me or you I hope your life insurance is paid (Morningside Drivers I'm talking to you). 5. You have a house..Please play with your kids there not from the front seat of your car. 6. Just because you are a bicyclist or pedestrian does not mean you have a force field that makes my 2 ton SUV stop on a dime. I have no problem using you as a speed bump and won't lose a wink of sleep over it. 7. If you are lost, confused, drunk, high, or just plain stupid can you please do it on the side of the road and not in the middle of a lane. 8. Anyone who believes this little crackdown by the popo is nothing more than a scam is living in la-la land.
And, I forgot one which is my absolute favorite around here: 9. There is a left lane and a right lane. Please make your RIGHT turn from the RIGHT lane and your LEFT turn from the LEFT lane. You also don't have to creep into the opposite lane to make the turn.