Law enforcement officers from Montana and 14 other states are stepping-up patrols of over 56-hundred miles of highway for the next several days.
I-90 and I-94 are two of the nation's most highly-traveled and dangerous interstates.
From August first through the fourth over the past three years, I-90/94 averages:
- 524 total crashes
- 136 injury crashes
- 56 crashes involving a big truck or bus
- 10 alcohol-related crashes
- 3 fatal crashes
The Montana Highway Patrol and hundreds of other highway safety officers from every state along those interstates between Washington State and New York will crack down on dangerous driving offenses.
Montana Department of Justice Communications Director, John Barnes, says this project has several goals: cutting the crash totals by half, having less than 69 injury crashes, less than 6 alcohol-related wrecks, fewer than 29 bus or truck crashes and zero fatalities:
"It's a goal - and whether or not it's realistic...we're going to do everything we can to get there. Our Highway Patrol, one of their primary responsibilities is protecting our highways and making sure that drivers there are kept safe. So we are gong to aim for zero fatals on our portion of the corridor for this period."
He says law enforcement will not hesitate to ticket or arrest people who are speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving distracted, not wearing seatbelts or any other unsafe practices.
This enhanced traffic enforcement project starts August first and continues through August 4th.
