CONNECTICUT, USA — Connecticut State Police will be stepping up highway patrols to reduce fatalities and crashes.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced the initiative, which has already begun, Thursday morning. The increased patrols will use police data to guide them and enforcement saturation along the highways where crashes and fatalities have become more common, according to the governor's office.
Lamont made the announcement alongside Ronnell Higgins, the interim commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), Interim Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the state police, and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.
Connecticut has seen an "unacceptable increase" in driving and pedestrian fatalities, the governor's office said, and concern has grown regarding unsafe and reckless driving on the highways.
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Connecticut also has seen three wrong-way crashes recently, killing seven people, including four of them in West Haven in recent days.
Lamont said that the state police and other law enforcement patterns remain committed to protecting the safety of the state's words and preventing irresponsible drivers from endangering the lives of others.
“We are sending a clear message that reckless driving is dangerous and illegal, and we have zero tolerance for the poor decisions of those whose negligence puts others in harm’s way," Lamont said during the announcement. "With more ridesharing services available now than at any other point in history, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone who may be impaired not to get a designated driver.”
Higgins said that DESPP, which oversees state police, knows where the most significant problems are and that they know that increased enforcement works.
"Using data, improved technology, and targeted enforcement, we will work with our other partners in government to reduce highway fatalities," Higgins said.
According to the DOT, there were 302 deaths along state highways in 2021. In 2022, that number increased to 366 and then decreased slightly in 2023 with 322 fatalities.
So far, in 2024, there have been 49 fatalities on the state's highways. The DOT said that while there is a recent surge in deaths, traffic fatalities have been trending downward since 1980.
"We at CTDOT are doing what we can from design, engineering, and construction standpoint to help people get to their destination safely," said Eucalitto. "Despite all of these efforts, it is the driver who can control their actions. Remember to slow down, pay attention, and drive sober."
Loughman said that in addition to patrolling the state's roads, state police also regularly plan initiatives to combat distracted driving, aggressive driving, and driving under the influence.
"Patrol troopers, in conjunction with our Traffic Service Unit and the DOT, work collaboratively to focus on deterring dangerous driving – including wrong-way drivers – on all Connecticut roads," Loughman said.
In 2023, the DOT installed over 50 detection systems across the state in problem areas. They analyzed over 700 on and off-ramps around the state and identified over 230 of them as being high risk for wrong-way drivers. You can read more about the wrong-way detection system program here.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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