Five-mile stretch sees 412 accidents since July 1, 2007. Nearly 9 of 10 due to aggressive driving. (Video)
Salina, NY--State, county and local law enforcement officials today gave aggressive drivers a fair warning: they’ll be looking for you on U.S. Route 11 from the Mattydale oval to state Route 31.
That five-mile stretch has seen 412 accidents from July 1, 2007 to June 30, and 85 percent of those crashes were linked to aggressive driving, said State Police Capt. Jeffrey Raub.
State police describe an aggressive driver as someone who drives “in a selfish, bold or pushy manner,” and drivers exhibiting those behaviors are being targeted, he said.
Officials from the state police, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, the North Syracuse and Cicero police departments met this morning at the state Department of Transportation’s Equipment Management Shop on South Bay Road to announce their latest aggressive driving enforcement action.
With traffic noise from South Bay Road in the background, officers announced plans to step up enforcement on Route 11 beginning Thursday with the goal of reducing the number of aggressive drivers, and the accidents they cause. The extra enforcement will continue through the summer.
The highest number of accidents on this stretch of road that runs through Salina, North Syracuse, Clay and Cicero occur between noon and 4 p.m. Most of the crashes took place between the Mattydale oval and Taft Road, according to the state Department of Transportation.
t’s not that there are more or fewer aggressive drivers than in the past, said Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh. There have always been speeders, tailgaters, drivers who run red lights or fail to signal a turn, he said.
By focusing on an area, law enforcement officials hope to make those aggressive drivers more aware of their behavior, Walsh said.
State DOT engineers chose the area for extra patrols based on a review of the accidents there, said Carl F. Ford, the department’s regional director.
The DOT will put up signs along the route warning drivers about the stepped up enforcement. State police, Onondaga County sheriff’s deputies, and officers from the Cicero and North Syracuse police departments will split the patrolling schedule.
Over the years, the campaign to stop aggressive driving has stepped up enforcement along Route 31 near the Great Northern Mall, on Route 31 in Cicero, on Carrier Circle and Route 5 in Camillus.
This is the second time that the DOT has chosen Route 11 from the Mattydale oval to Route 31 for enforcement.