NEWS RELEASE:

              The Amherst Police Department receives a Traffic Enforcement Grant:

  Road Respect

Chief Charles L. Scherpa is pleased to announce the Amherst Police Department will conduct a traffic enforcement mobilization, titled Road Respect March 23^rd through April 8^th, 2007. The goal of this campaign is to reduce aggressive driving through education and enforcement of the traffic laws. Chief Scherpa and the Amherst Police are dedicated to making our roads safer.

Distracted driving is dangerous and can lead to aggressive driving. It only takes one second for a driver to become distracted and a crash to occur. Driving instructors estimate that a driver makes an average of 200 decisions every mile that he or she drives.

 Aggressive driving is a growing and dangerous traffic issue, usually representing a combination of unsafe and unlawful driving actions that demonstrate a conscious and willful disregard for the safety of others. It is becoming a growing source of fatalities and injuries on our roadways.  Most are people who are not obeying traffic and safety laws and not using common sense. There is also a small group of people who like the feel of power they experience when driving aggressively

If you observe or are involved in a serious incident on the road, contact the nearest police agency by dialing 911, even on a cellular phone. You can also report it to the Registry of Motor Vehicles using a vehicle compliant form available at any Registry of Motor Vehicle office.

The Amherst Police Department recently received a $10,000 grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau to support its involvement in the 2006-2007 You Drink You Drive. You Lose and Click it or Ticket Campaigns.  The GHSB is a program of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety. For more information, go to www.mass.gov/ghsb. Or you can contact the Amherst Police Sgt. in charge of this program, Sgt. William Menard.

Release Date: 3/17/07