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Pulaski and Giles Counties led the way with 453 total tickets issued, while troopers in Montgomery and Floyd Counties wrote 272 citations.

A breakdown of some of the tickets issued in Pulaski and Giles Counties included 198 speeding tickets, 59 individuals were cited for reckless driving and seven individuals were charged with DUI, according to Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy, Public Information Officer for the district which oversees Pulaski and Giles Counties.

In addition, troopers in Giles and Pulaski investigated 14 accidents and assisted 58 motorists.

In Montgomery and Floyd Counties, there was some good and bad news. The good news was, no one was charged with DUI, while the bad news was, 149 people were cited for exceeding the speed limit.

Other totals for these two counties included 84 individuals cited for other hazardous driving actions, 26 people charged with reckless driving, 10 for seat belt violations and three for child restraint violations, according to Sgt. Bob Carpentieri, Public Information Officer for Division 6, which includes Montgomery and Floyd Counties.

Across the Commonwealth, 12 individuals, including two motorcyclists were killed during the holiday statistical counting period, which ran from 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 3, 2008 to midnight Sunday, July 6, 2008. In 2007, 18 people died in 17 crashes during the four-day holiday period.

The 12 fatal crashes occurred in the cities of Virginia Beach and Waynesboro; the town of Kenbridge; and the counties of Carroll, Dickenson, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania and Stafford. The fatalities in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties on Interstate 95 were the only two to occur on an interstate during the holiday weekend.

“The decreases in Virginia’s traffic fatalities between the 2008 and 2007 Independence Day weekends and for the entire year are encouraging, to say the least,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, in a press release. “Although it is difficult to pinpoint one particular reason for the reduction in fatalities, we are hopeful that teenagers and adults are finally getting the message and making safe, responsible driving a priority. However, the 411 men, women, and children killed so far this year on our highways indicates we still have plenty of work to do.”

So far this year traffic deaths are down with 411 being reported as of Monday, compared to 504 this time last year.

Also, during the holiday weekend, Virginia State Police once again increased its presence statewide as a participant in the Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.). C.A.R.E. is a state-sponsored program designed to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints, particularly during national holidays.

During the 2008 Fourth of July holiday period, Virginia State Police cited a total of 16,994 traffic and criminal violations, including: 149 for DUI; 7,697 for speeding; 2,053 for reckless driving; 292 for not using child restraints; and 803 for seat belt violations. State police also responded to and investigated 744 total traffic crashes, with 177 involving injuries.

Photo by David Grimes

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