The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has launched “Operation Braking Point 2.0” - a zero-tolerance, high-visibility campaign to make the roadways safer.
Police and other local law enforcement agencies with an enforcement campaign focusing on the concerning increase of traffic fatalities involving speed and other safety behaviors.
Operation Braking Point first launched in January, resulting in 464 tickets being issued, with 270 of them for speeding. There were also four arrests.
That first iteration was focused on I-95, I-495, and Route 1.
Operation Braking Point 2.0, which started on Friday and continues through June 17th, will have troopers and local law enforcement covering more roadways, according to Delaware State Police Senior Corporal Leonard DeMalto.
"It's a little bit shorter but despite that it's going to be expanded. So again we're going to be on 95 and 495, route 1, but we're also going to be targeting speeders on Route 13 and 113,” said DeMalto. “Again up and down the state, not just in one county or something like that. Anywhere in the state where those roads go."
As of last week, there have been 60 fatal crashes on Delaware roadways, resulting in 64 deaths.
There were 165 deaths in 2022, with speeding contributing to one-third of all fatal traffic crashes last year.
DeMalto says preventing speeding and other risky behaviors is not all about pulling people over.
"We want to increase our presence because what's the first thing you do when you see a police officer, you slow down, I do it. So that's a good thing. That's what we want. We want people to see us which also shows that they're paying attention to what's going on around them," said DeMalto.
The campaign is a reminder for drivers to slow down, buckle up, and obey the rules of the road.
