RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia State Police are intensifying their efforts to combat distracted driving and other traffic violations during the Fourth of July holiday weekend as part of Operation CARE.
During a patrol on Crater Road in Petersburg, CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett observed firsthand how troopers are enforcing traffic laws to keep travelers safe.
"Typically a busier holiday, so just promoting highway safety, being visible, being seen by the general public and hopefully slowing them down enough, that way everyone has safe travels," Trooper Jimmy Shutt said.
One driver was pulled over for using her phone while driving, though she claimed she was only entering an address into her GPS.
"The reason I stopped you is because we left that light and you were playing with your phone the entire time," Trooper Shutt told the driver, who was issued a summons.
The enforcement effort comes after last year's Fourth of July weekend when more than 4,000 drivers were ticketed, including 1,800 for reckless driving.
During another traffic stop at Fort Lee, Trooper Shutt discovered a driver who had been operating her vehicle without insurance for three years.
"Driving around on one of the busiest holidays we have with no insurance on her car. It causes a world of hurt for anyone she's involved in a crash with, or even herself if she wants to get car fixed," Shutt said.
Trooper Shutt emphasized that his biggest concerns are distracted driving and failure to move over for emergency vehicles.
"People who do fail to move over or slow down if they don't have the opportunity to move over is one of my pet peeves, to include people using their cell phones," he said.
State police will maintain a strong presence on highways throughout the weekend, especially on Sunday, which is expected to be a busy travel day. Their goal is to keep crash and injury statistics as low as possible.
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