Megan Matteucci | Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 12:30 am
The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police and other officers will spend the next day 90 days cracking down on speeding, DUI, reckless driving and other traffic violations.
More than 50 extra officers from across the state will hit the streets of Chatham County today as part an aggressive traffic enforcement campaign.
The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police and the extra officers will spend the next 90 days cracking down on speeding, DUI, reckless driving and other traffic violations as part of Operation Rolling Thunder.
SCMPD requested help from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety after a 50 percent spike in traffic accidents with serious injuries or death, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said.
Fifteen people have died on Chatham County roadways so far this year. As of this time last year, 10 people had died in crashes, according to Wilson.
"The crashes that seriously injure, maim and claim the lives of motorists and pedestrians typically result from traffic violations and bad driving," Chief Michael Berkow said in a statement. "Our goal is to reduce the highway tragedies that result from violations through bad visibility and vigorous enforcement."
Last year, Chatham County ranked as the "fifth deadliest place to drive in Georgia," according to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
The 90-day enforcement campaign will begin on Interstate 16 today, but will target all areas of Chatham County.
It will be led by the SCMPD five-officer Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic unit. It will include 15 Georgia State Patrol troopers and officers from the 26 HEAT units from across the state.
