During the first four months of 2012 there were 21 more deaths from motor vehicle crashes than during the same period of 2011 in the area served by the Blue Ridge Transportation Safety Board. The Memorial Day Holiday is the first big holiday to start the summer travel season, and it unfortunately comes with motor vehicle crashes, injuries and deaths. Law enforcement agencies representing the BRTSB will be out in force throughout the Memorial Day weekend aggressively enforcing moving and occupant protection violations as well as targeting impaired drivers.

The goal of the BRTSB sponsored “Blitz” is to reduce the number of persons injured and killed in preventable crashes during this heavily traveled weekend. Through saturation patrols and checkpoints, participating agencies will identify and take action against unsafe drivers. There will be no breaks and no warnings offered. If you drive like you own the road, you will own the ticket or even be arrested.

“As a veteran myself, I know that Memorial Day should be a day to remember our veterans and see family and friends. It should not include the tragedy of a motor vehicle fatality or serious injury,” said Steve Goodwin. Regular seat-belt use is the single most effective way to protect yourself and your family to reduce injury and death in a motor vehicle crash. Distracted driving, speeding, and aggressive driving lead to countless crashes in our service area and will be specifically targeted during this campaign.

Though all agencies represented by the BRTSB will be participating in the Click It or Ticket Campaign, this Memorial Day “Blitz” has been initiated to address all causative factors in motor vehicle crashes in central and Southwestern Virginia. The “Blitz” will be conducted from Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28. Drivers that tend to drive like they are the only personson the road should avoid Virginia’s highways during this time. They will be targeted.

– Submitted by Sergeant Tim Wyatt, Special Operations Unit, Roanoke County Police Department