Sobriety Checkpoints, Extra Troopers On 2 VA Roads This Weekend

FAIRFAX, VA — Virginia state troopers will join officers from eight other states to boost patrols along two busy East Coast highways used by college students and families on vacation. For the seventh year Operation Border to Border will focus on U.S Route 15 and U.S. Route 17, which are used by drivers trying to avoid congested interstates, said the Virginia State Police.

State troopers from Maryland, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia will take part in the effort to prevent crashes, injuries and fatalities along primary highways in each state. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 7, through midnight Sunday, June 9, the operation will include saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and other enforcement initiatives aimed at saving lives and combating criminal activity, a news release said.

Authorities are targeting 791 miles of U.S. Route 15, which begins in Waterboro, South Carolina, and ends in Corning, New York. With so many state troopers on patrol this weekend, drivers are reminded to comply with each state’s Move Over law.

Speed, distracted driving and impaired drivers are at the core of the traffic safety initiative. During the three-day 2018 Operation Border to Border, a total of 1,047 speeders were cited, 19 DUI arrests were made, and 332 seat belt violations were cited across all nine states. In addition, 153 commercial vehicle violations were cited and 16 drug/narcotic arrests were made.