Virginia To Increase Patrols On I-95 To Crack Down On Bad Drivers

VIRGINIA — The Virginia State Police is participating in a two-day “Drive to Save Lives” traffic safety initiative along Interstate 95 by increasing patrols along the interstate.

On Friday and Saturday, drivers can expect to see an increased presence of state troopers along Virginia’s entire 178 miles of I-95, from the border of North Carolina to Maryland. This year the initiative coincides with Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic is expected along parts of I-95 between Springfield and Fredericksburg both Friday and Saturday. Drivers are encouraged to stay aware despite the backups to avoid rear-ending the car in front of them.

“With April being Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Virginia’s new hands-free law, this enhanced enforcement initiative along the East Coast couldn’t come at a better time,” Colonel Gary T. Settle, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said Thursday in a statement.

In 2020, Virginia saw 37 traffic crash fatalities on I-95, six of which involved distracted driving, according to the Virginia State Police. Five of the crashes involved drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

From Maine to Florida, 625 people lost their lives in crashes along the entire 1,920 miles of I-95 in 2020. The Virginia State Police are joining police in 15 other states participating in the increased patrols.

RELATED: Virginia Traffic Deaths Rise In 2020 Despite Fewer Cars On Road

On Jan. 1, it became illegal to hold a handheld personal communications device while driving a car on Virginia highways.

Over the past year, people have been driving faster and more erratically due to less traffic on the roads because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drivers should be on the lookout for speeders breaking 100 mph when changing lanes.

Traffic fatalities were up 2 percent across Virginia in 2020, even though traffic crashes were down 21 percent compared to 2019, according to preliminary data by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Fewer cars and less traffic on the road during the pandemic did not reduce the risk of dying in a car crash across the state in 2020. In fact, as traffic volume dropped, vehicle speeds increased, which played a significant factor in the rise in the fatality rate on the nation's roadways

Some drivers were willing to take advantage of the reduced number of cars on the road to engage in dangerous driving. Speed-related deaths in Virginia were up 16 percent in 2020 compared to a year earlier, a data review by AAA Mid-Atlantic found.