Jul 6, 2016 2 min read

BELLE VERNON – The state’s annual police crackdown on aggressive drivers was launched Wednesday, highlighting the work of police officers in Rostraver Township.

The state Department of Transportation and local and state police took questions from the media before Rostraver police officers patrolled nearby Route 51 north, pulling over two vehicles and ticketing their drivers within the first 10 minutes of the effort.

“Texting while driving has grave consequences,” Rostraver police Lt. John Christner said before officers staged the traffic enforcement event a short distance south of the Route 51 and Interstate 70 interchange.

PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said 41 local police departments and troopers from four Southwestern Pennsylvania barracks are participating in this year’s program, which also aims to educate motorists about the dangers of aggressive driving.

The program began Wednesday and runs through Aug. 28.

“Speeding might seem harmless, but when drivers go too fast, they put everyone on the roadway at risk,” Ofsanik said.

Last year, 58,032 aggressive driving-related citations were issued in the program across Pennsylvania.

Officers in 2015 made 82 drug-related arrests, 376 felony arrests and 121 drunken driving arrests during the program.

Under the program, police officers target unsafe motorists who drive too fast for conditions, text while driving and speed through work zones.