New York State Police Join I-90/94 Challenge This Weekend

Written by Wendy Ann Mitchell

Law enforcement in 15 states are banding together for the I-90/94 Challenge, a safety initiative to reduce the number of highway fatalities. Motorists can expect to see Troopers on the Thruway, as well as law enforcement from other states on the 5,681 miles of the Interstate 90/94 corridor.

Law enforcement in 15 states from New York to Washington will be checking seat belts, speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, motorcycle violations, and unsafe equipment/driving behaviors of large trucks and buses. The goal is zero deaths from Aug. 1-4.

Lt. Col. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol said in a press conference on Friday, “From August 1st through the 4th over the past three years, this interstate corridor has had an average of 524 crashes, 136 injury crashes, 56 crashes involving a commercial vehicle, truck or bus, 10 alcohol related crashes and 3 fatal crashes. Plain and simple we’re looking to go 0 for 4 during this 4-day challenge, meaning we want zero fatalities from August 1st through the 4th on I-94 and I-90.”

State Police are asking all motorists to take the challenge with them and are asking people to slow down, wear seat belts, drive sober and don’t drive distracted.

According to the YouTube video the Minnesota Department of Public Safety posted, the I-90/94 Challenge was “initiated by the Minnesota State Patrol in response to the International Association of Chiefs of Police goal to reduce traffic fatalities this year in the United States by 15 percent.”

The 15 states participating in the challenge are:
• Massachusetts
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• Michigan
• Indiana
• Illinois
• Wisconsin
• Minnesota
• South Dakota
• North Dakota
• Wyoming
• Montana
• Idaho
• Washington

For more information about the I-90/94 Challenge, click here.