Road Wars: Police Promise A Crackdown

By Andrew Gorosko

In light of continuing resident complaints about traffic law violations, police plan to more closely monitor traffic flow, according to Police Captain Michael Kehoe.

 “I think we’re going to be more cognizant of it, to put more effort into it,” the captain said of traffic law enforcement. Capt Kehoe has run the police department since early July when the Police Commission placed Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr, on administrative leave until the commission’s job termination proceeding against the chief is resolved.

Police Commission members November 3 discussed local traffic problems and what should be done about them.

Strict townwide enforcement of traffic laws is needed; especially speed laws, according to commission Chairman James Reilly. He said local motorists have “more and more of a disregard for traffic regulation.” Police must tackle the enforcement problem as a way to prevent motor vehicle accidents, he said.

Newtown should develop a reputation as a town where the traffic laws are strictly enforced, Mr Reilly said.

Police have recently received many requests for traffic enforcement, Captain Kehoe said November 8, noting that enforcement will focus on speeding and reckless driving, plus traffic signal and stop sign violations. Speeding is the most common traffic complaint from residents.

“We’re a very busy society. We’re always in a rush,” the captain said.

The pressures of modern society result in increased driving speeds, causing some motorists to make unwise driving decisions such as rushing to get through traffic signals that are turning red, he said.

 Capt Kehoe speculated that increased speed limits on interstate highways might have had the result of motorists increasing their speed on local roads.

“We have a lot more traffic,” Capt Kehoe said, noting that well over 1,000 new homes have been built in town during the past five years, contributing significantly to the number of local vehicle trips made daily. Also, new home construction generates added traffic in areas that are under development, he said.

The economy is good and that puts people on roads with which they are unfamiliar, leading to traffic problems, the captain said.

Capt Kehoe said he does not believe the public is any more lawless than it has been in the past in terms of traffic laws, but that there is simply more traffic flowing across local roads and consequently more traffic problems.

“As you increase the traffic, there’s more potential for accidents and property damage,” he said.

  

The List

To keep tabs on roads that need heightened traffic law enforcement, police keep a running list of roads under surveillance in the roll call room at the police station. These several dozen roads scattered throughout the five police patrol sectors are monitored based on complaints from residents. The roads include The Boulevard, Main Street, Butterfield Road, Walnut Tree Hill Road, Mt Pleasant Road,  Route 302, Hattertown Road, Huntingtown Road, Great Ring Road and Riverside Road, among many others.

When the public realizes that police are watching traffic flow more closely, it can have an effect on how motorists drive, the captain said.

Police plan to use conventional stationary radar, laser-based speed checks, and their radar speed display unit in the heightened enforcement effort, he said. The radar speed display unit includes a large panel mounted atop the trunk of a police car which displays the current speed of vehicles to oncoming motorists.

Police also receive complaints about motorists violating pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks. Police recently replaced the large orange plastic barrels near crosswalks in the town center which held signs informing drivers that pedestrians have the right of way while in crosswalks. At the request of the state Department of Transportation, police replaced the orange barrels with smaller collapsible stands bearing the signs.

Although the smaller signs are less visible than the orange barrels, they are considered safer in accidents, the captain explained.

To avoid traffic problems Captain Kehoe urged motorists to drive with other motorists in mind, leaving sufficient space between vehicles in the event emergency maneuvers are needed. By driving defensively, observing traffic laws, and continually scanning the oncoming roadway with peripheral vision, drivers can avoid many accidents, he said.

 With the holiday season approaching, police plan to step up their enforcement of the traffic laws on drunken driving and the use of seat belts, Capt Kehoe said. The stepped-up drunken driving program starts November 24 for the November 25 Thanksgiving holiday.