Crackdown on Drunk, Aggressive Drivers Over Memorial Day Weekend

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Extra Maryland state troopers on duty will work with police departments in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties to crack down on drunk and aggressive drivers over the Memorial Day weekend.

Troopers throughout the state will be conducting special traffic enforcement initiatives this Memorial Day weekend in an effort to reduce crashes. The SPIDRE Team, a full-time drunk driving enforcement team, will be out over the holiday weekend in areas where drunk drivers and drunk driving crashes are known to be prevalent. Troopers will focus on DUI saturation patrols, speed and seatbelt enforcement as well as aggressive and distracted driving.

Using the program called SPIDRE, Maryland State Police and local police departments saw a 13 percent decrease in alcohol-related crashes, officials said last summer.

Across Maryland, drunk and impaired driving has caused 856 deaths between 2009 and 2013. Impaired drivers caused 33 percent of those fatal crashes, authorities said.

Joining state troopers in the hunt for drunk drivers will be officers from Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County.

Operation Showboat will target aggressive drivers on Route 50 from Anne Arundel County to Ocean City, as well as Route 301 and Route 13 in other parts of the state. Troopers and local law enforcement will take part.

In Prince George’s County, Operation Millipede will work to reduce crashes while curbing criminal activity. Patrol troopers will make traffic stops to enforce all traffic laws. There will be zero tolerance for any occupants who are not using seatbelts or riding in safety seats.

These high visibility enforcement efforts are to reduce the number of aggressive driving motor vehicle crashes in which speed, alcohol and other driving violations are contributing factors to crashes. For more information on Maryland roads, visit md511.org.

SEE ALSO:

• Maryland Removes Parallel Parking from Driving Test
• Gov. Hogan to Re-Open State Police Barrack in Annapolis