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Troopers will be out in full force on the interstate throughout both Montgomery and Pulaski County. In fact, early Sunday afternoon, troopers had pulled over numerous vehicles on one stretch of I-81 in Pulaski County.

“I never seen so many cop cars in one stretch of the interstate,” said Albert Turner of Lynchburg, as he got gas just off exit 98 in Pulaski County. “I must have seen at least 10 police cars between Wytheville and here. They were sitting in every little hiding place you could think of and I swear in what was maybe a one mile stretch, they had I think 7 or 8 cars pulled over.”

“In the first 10 weeks of this year 139 individuals have already lost their lives in traffic crashes on Virginia’s roads,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “That may be four fewer deaths than this time last year, but those are still 139 lives forever ended because of a driver’s careless and reckless actions.”

With spring break beginning this weekend for numerous colleges and universities in Virginia and surrounding states, more traffic is anticipated on Virginia’s north-south interstate corridors. Troopers, supervisors, motorcycle units, motor carrier troopers and aviation units will be patrolling the entire lengths of I-95 and I-81 as part of the March 9-10, 2008, safety enforcement effort.

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This is the seventh operation since 2006 to concentrate exclusively on all 324 miles of I-81 and all I-77 miles of I-95. The last Operation Air, Land & Speed on Interstates 81 and 95 was conducted in October 2007. The October traffic initiative yielded 6,352 summonses and arrests – 3,091 on I-81 and 3,261 on I-95. Offenses included speeding, reckless driving, DUI, seatbelt violations and drug/felony arrests.

Of the 10 operations conducted on interstates across the Commonwealth since 2006, a grand total of 51,163 violations have been issued and arrests made by state police. In February 2008, Operation Air, Land & Speed was conducted on Interstates 77, 85 and 295, and yielded 1,033 summonses and arrests.

The premise of Operation Air, Land, & Speed is to keep motorists safe and promote responsible driver behaviors. To prevent and reduce traffic crash fatalities, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have issued a Highway Safety Challenge (www.safeVAhighways.org).

Photos: (Top left) A Virginia State Trooper has a car pulled over on I-81 south just pass Exit 98 in Pulaski County Sunday afternoon. (Right) This sign warns motorists as they get onto I-81. (Photos by David Grimes)

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