By Hank Russell
The New York State Police (NYSP) recently launched Operation Southern Shield, a targeted traffic enforcement initiative focused on reducing serious crashes and fatalities along the Southern State Parkway. This initiative — which runs until June 12 — is specifically designed to address those dangerous driving behaviors most often associated with fatal and serious injury crashes.
The goal of Operation Southern Shield is simple: to reduce preventable crashes, save lives and remind drivers that every decision made behind the wheel matters.
Coordinated enforcement efforts will be put into place to increase visibility, strengthen enforcement capabilities and enhance our ability to identify and address dangerous behaviors in real time.
The Southern State Parkway remains one of Long Island’s busiest and most heavily traveled roadways, spanning approximately 25 miles from the Queens/Nassau County border to Heckscher State Park in East Islip, according to NYSP. “As the weather improves and daylight hours get longer, we traditionally see an increase in traffic volume,” the agency said in a statement. “With increased traffic often comes an increase in traffic violations and dangerous driving behavior that can ultimately lead to serious injury and fatal crashes.”
The leading causes of fatal and serious injury crashes, the NYSP said, continue to be speeding, impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving and other violations of traffic laws which rest solely on the part of the driver.
“Speeding to save only a few minutes is never worth a lifetime of consequences,” the NYSP stated. “Slow down. Drive sober. Pay attention. Move over. Put the phone down. Buckle up. … Safe roads start with you.”