CT state police ramping up traffic enforcement to cut down on crashes, fatalities

Connecticut State Police have stepped up traffic enforcement as part of an initiative to cut down on crashes and fatalities on the state’s highways.

Troopers kicked off the initiative last month when Gov. Ned Lamont said state police would be “sending a clear message that reckless driving is dangerous and illegal,” according to Rick Green, director of communications for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State police have already seen a sharp increase for part of March in traffic stops and infractions.

From March 12 through March 18, state police made 2,669 total traffic stops, resulting in 1,369 infractions, most of which were for speeding, according to Green.

“That represents an increase of more than 1,100 traffic stops and nearly 650 infractions, compared to two weeks previous,” Green said in a statement issued Friday.

According to Green, concerns about safety and speeding motorists have been growing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were 303 traffic fatalities in Connecticut in 2021; 366 in 2022; and 322 in 2023, according to the state Department of Transportation. So far this year, 53 fatalities have been reported on Connecticut roads, including three wrong-way crashes that took a total of seven lives.

As a result, state police have been increasing enforcement on roads that have proven deadlier than others. Expanded enforcement has been done on Route 15, Interstate 95, Interstate 91 and multiple rural roads in the state.

State police are also anticipating additional enforcement for I-91 in the Hartford area and later along I-84 between Danbury and Waterbury.

Since the deaths of four people on I-95 in West Haven in late February, there have been no fatal or serious injury collisions in the primary enforcement areas, according to Green.

“The targeted enforcement is working,”  DESPP Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins said in a statement. “We are doing what we said we would do. Police are making contact with drivers and taking enforcement action when necessary.’’

“Speed has been identified as a significant factor in many fatal crashes,” Higgins continued. “If we can get people to slow down we can reduce the number of crashes.

“We are going to continue to do exactly what we have been doing for the last few weeks, which is to provide more visibility and increased contact with those who are violating the laws on our highways and byways,’’ Higgins said.

Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, said troopers are always dedicated to maintaining safety on the state’s highways.

“While some operators persist in flaunting state traffic laws, our troopers continue to conduct enhanced enforcement efforts,” Loughman said in a statement. “The numbers demonstrate that our enforcement is effective across the state.”

“The state police are using a data-driven approach to identify targeted areas of enforcement,” Loughman continued.

“I want to assure motorists that troopers are out there 24/7 to deter operators from driving aggressively,” he said. “Aggressive and distracted driving creates hazardous conditions on our roadways, and we urge all drivers to follow the rules of the road.”