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State troopers reduce traffic deaths with 'Operation Safe Holidays' campaign | al.com

State troopers reduce traffic deaths with 'Operation Safe Holidays' campaign

Published: Monday, January 03, 2011, 1:05 PM Updated: Monday, January 03, 2011, 1:05 PM

By Ben Flanagan, al.com


(The Birmingham News file)
The Alabama Department of Public Safety says its 24-day "Operation Safe Holidays" traffic safety campaign was a success, reducing the number of traffic deaths by 10 since last year.

The initiative was put in place to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities during the winter holidays, which is one of the busiest travel periods every year. The operation ran from Dec. 10, 2010 through Jan. 2 this year.

Troopers investigated 10 fewer traffic fatalities than during the same period in 2009, according to the DPS. The report says that troopers have seen a consistent decline in traffic fatalities since 2006 and attribute the reduction to such safety campaigns as Operation Safe Holidays and Take Back Our Highways.

The report says that in 2006, trooper-investigated traffic fatalities were at 828, their highest since 1973. The DPS said those numbers have consistently decreased each year, with 525 in 2010.

During Operation Safe Holidays, trooper enforcement included:


  • DUI arrests: 492

  • Speeding citations: 14,395

  • Reckless Driving citations: 69

  • Seat Belt/Child Restraint citations: 6,916


Trooper investigated traffic fatalities for 2006 – 2010:
  • 2010: 525

  • 2009: 541

  • 2008: 635

  • 2007: 766

  • 2006: 828