Between May 23 and Memorial Day, May 30, officers from the St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia police departments collaborated to increase enforcement of the main traffic violations that have led to an increase in serious crashes throughout the area. Officers specifically combined their efforts enforcing violations along Randall Road, IL Rt. 31, IL Rt. 25 and Kirk Road, the four main roadways that stretch between the three communities.
“The goal of this traffic initiative, as we head into the unofficial start of summer, was to reduce crashes and raise awareness of the leading causes of crashes that we are seeing. The results of the enforcement efforts were staggering,” said St. Charles Police Commander Rich Clark.
In all, 373 drivers were stopped over the one-week period for violations specifically sought by police: speed violations, distracted driving, seat belt usage and ‘Scott’s Law,’ also known as the ‘Move Over Law’ which requires drivers to change lanes, if they can do so safely, or reduce their speed significantly and proceed with caution upon approaching any emergency vehicle or other vehicle stopped on the side of the road.
“The largest number of stops made by officers was for speeding,” Clark said. “Statistically, this is the leading cause of injury and fatal crashes in the United States. As we head into the summer months when more people are on the roads, we want ensure everyone arrives at their destinations safely.”
All three departments noted they plan to continue their enforcement efforts in hopes of reducing crashes throughout the summer and keeping the roadways as safe as possible.
