The Maryland State Police, Prince Frederick Barrack and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office have stepped up their enforcement in an effort to SAVE LIVES.  Below is a brief historyof the Smooth Operator program.

In 1997, Smooth Operator was founded with 18 law enforcement agencies coordinating efforts to get tough on aggressive drivers in the greater Washington, DC area. It resulted in 62,000 citations that first year. Officials felt more was needed to raise awareness and change behavior. A coalition of elected officials, government agencies, private sector organizations, and law enforcement agencies were formed to develop a comprehensive program to reduce aggressive driving. As a result, a public awareness and education component was added to the program. This component aimed to inform people about the negative consequences of aggressive driving. They developed the multi-pronged, 4 E’s approach:  Enforcement, Education, Engineering and Evaluation.  Research shows that public awareness does not work without enforcement. By using this model, drivers are made aware of the aggressive driving problem and the consequences of doing so through the Smooth Operator social marketing campaign.

 Smooth Operator has become a model program for the nation, and it’s growing every year. Over the four enforcement waves in 2009 alone, a total of 408,577 warnings and citations were issued. Speed is a primary factor in aggressive driving behavior. In 2006, speeding contributed to 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,543 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. The economic cost of speeding-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is estimated to be more than $40 billion annually or approximately $44,193 per minute. According to the Federal Highway Administration, an average of  70 percent of motorists exceed legal speed limits. In 2006 alone, 37 percent of all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 23 percent for passenger car drivers, 19 percent for light-truck drivers, and 8 percent for large-truck drivers.  From 1998 to 2007, more local police officers were killed conducting traffic enforcement than by any other cause, and aggressive driving was a leading factor in those deaths. In the 2008 and 2009, two-year period, speeding is the most serious danger drivers admit to when asked about their own behavior in the last seven days:

 • 50% sped up to make a light
 • 48% Speeding on a local road with 30 mph limit
 • 49% Speeding more than 70 mph on a 65 mph highway
 • 49% entered an intersection with a yellow light
 • 35% Speeding at least 10 mph over the limit

Since 1997, approximately 3.2 million citations have been issued to aggressive drivers.
 
 With that being said, if you are stopped for a speeding violation in Calvert County you can expect swift enforcement action. Speed is a primary factor in aggressive driving behavior – and is also a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. The probability of death and debilitating injury grows with impacts at higher speeds – doubling for every 10 MPH over 50 MPH that a vehicle travels.  The Federal Highway Administration found that, on average, 70 percent of motorists exceed the posted speed limits.

 Below is useful information that all drivers should consider to help keep everyone safe on our roadways.

How to Avoid Being an Aggressive Driver:

• Allow more travel time to get to your destination. It reduces stress dramatically.
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