Putting the HEAT on Aggressive Drivers
Fairfax County Police Department's campaign Operation Summer HEAT will target aggressive drivers during the next three months
By Alexandra Mendoza
http://centreville.patch.com/articles/putting-the-heat-on-aggressive-drivers

Fairfax County Police plan to crack down on aggressive driving this summer.

The new safety campaign Operation Summer HEAT (Help Eliminate Aggressive Driving) will run from Friday through Sept. 3, according to a Fairfax County Police Department press release. Officers will specifically look for violations such as reckless driving, speeding, improper passing, failure to obey stop lights and signs and following too closely.

“Clearly, motorists in Fairfax County have very busy lives and are often frustrated with heavy traffic,” Capt. Susan Culin, commander of the Traffic Division, said.

The program will have three segments with major enforcement waves in June, July and August. Some police cruisers will also have Summer HEAT magnets on them to remind drivers to practice safe driving habits.

This program is being instituted after a rise in the number of tickets written for safety violations between 2010 and 2011. In 2011, 142,263 drivers were cited for traffic safety violations, a 1,621 ticket increase from the previous year.

If convicted, demerit points remained on a driver’s DMV record. Improper passing, failure to obey lights and signs and improper passing warrant three demerit points. Following too closely earns four demerit points, which remains on a driving record for three years, and reckless driving can earn up to six points.

“Just one fender bender caused by an aggressive driver makes a difficult situation even worse; we’re trying to do something about this ongoing problem,” Culin said.
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How can one drive aggressive sitting at traffic lights and in traffic where your maximum speed is 5mph?
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They start Friday? Too bad they didn't start yesterday , I was frickin flying !

Too bad the cops don't also target passive aggresive driving as well.
You know, the douchebags that won't get out of the left lane to let you pass.
Their mantra: "I'm doing the speed limit".
Translation: "I'm in no hurry, but I love being able to impede YOUR progress"

Good. I hope they ticket the F@#$ out of those tailgaters. Nova drivers leave you little to no space when entering your lane without signals, leave a 4 foot gap between themselves and your rear bumper, and speed up when you try to pass them! I have installed train horns for these nubs :D

If it were spelled right, it should have been named "HEAD," not "HEAT." Awkward. I guess they didn't think that one through quite enough.

I am for anything that gets the mexicans driving towed lawn service vehicles out of the left lane.

Rolling a stop sign is aggressive driving? Gimme a fucking break.

celebrate nothing Wrote:
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> I am for anything that gets the mexicans driving
> towed lawn service vehicles out of the left lane.


Im for anything that teaches you proper sentence structure. Kill yourself.

"Officers will specifically look for violations such as reckless driving, speeding, improper passing..."

How about "impeding traffic" which is almost always the cause for the above 3?

I'm all in favor of "Operation Summer HEAD"

Was operation road head already taken?

Does Operation Summer Heat also apply to county cops?

If you want to reduce aggressive driving, crack down at he idiots who don't know you can turn right on red, or who go slowly in the left lane, creating backups everywhere they go.

How about the idiots who dont stop before turning right on a red?

McGruff - The Crime Dog! Wrote:
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>
> Following too closely earns four demerit points,
> which remains on a driving record for three years,
> and reckless driving can earn up to six points.
>

Demerit points last two years from date of offense, regardless of what that offense was.

Update on FCPD Summer HEAT Traffic Safety Effort
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/news-releases/2012/071112summerheat.htm

Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
News Release: July 11, 2012



UPDATE on FCPD Summer HEAT
Traffic Safety Effort


Fairfax County Police are putting the heat on aggressive drivers. Since the traffic safety summer HEAT (Help Eliminate Aggressive Traffic) program began on June 15, officers have issued over 2,000 summonses for unsafe, aggressive driving behaviors.

These include such violations as failure to pay full time and attention, texting while operating a vehicle, having a television visible to a driver and wearing earphones while driving.

Specifically, there were 284 citations issued for improper passing, lane changes, u-turns or turns at intersections. There were 370 drivers who were ticketed for driving on a revoked or suspended driver’s license. There were 71 citations issued to pedestrians, too for pedestrian-related violations. Over 550 citations were issued for child restraint or seatbelt violations. Hundreds of other motorists were ticketed for driving through and over safety zones, following too closely and signaling violations.

The safety effort will continue through August. Police urge motorists to slow down, drive courteously, and be patient with fellow-motorists throughout the summertime heat. “Aggressive driving leads to crashes, causing more traffic congestion, delays and even hotter tempers,” said Commander Susan Culin, Captain of the Traffic Division, “We’re hoping this safety effort will help encourage everyone to slow down, pay attention, and cool off a bit.”
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is this paid for out of Federal Money?

and is this part of the Smooth Operator program?

Let's have a big FUCK YOU to the FCPD for this thinly veiled revenue generation operation.

Is there video of the meeting were they came up with the name of this program?

I am very glad that they are stepping up enforcement! Especially if they are getting the people driving around 10 to a car with kids bouncing all over - been seeing that too much lately!

I do have a question: Isn't it also illegal for Police Officers to text or talk with a phone up to their ear while driving? And if so, how would one go about reporting consistent offenders?

I have been seeing a lot more police on the roads these days, but if they are not looking at their computers while driving, they are talking or texting. I was almost run into by a state officer that continued texting as we both pulled away from a stop light, (I was next to him at the light and could see him) as he swerved into my lane...... I also see one car that regularly patrols may area and every time I have ever seen that car, the driver has a phone up to his ear. He never pays attention to the community he is driving through, as he is always talking.... (yes, I know the car #)

Curmudgeon Wrote:
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> If you want to reduce aggressive driving, crack
> down at he idiots who don't know you can turn
> right on red, or who go slowly in the left lane,
> creating backups everywhere they go.


+1

It would make the commute so much easier for everyone.

Ahh the fairfax police force... bringing you some tyrannical opressive police state to a place near you. I bet if these idiots could monitor everyone 24/7 (to make sure you're not being naughty naughty!), they would.

Dont drive, so dont give a fuck. Enjoy paying another tax because you dont know how to operate your freedom machines. I keep petitioning the county to increase their fine structure for all tickets, specifically right turners who don't stop on red, which is a violation even without the sign that says "NO TURN ON RED".

Enjoy fuck faces

vindictive ass Wrote:
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> Dont drive, so dont give a fuck. Enjoy paying
> another tax because you dont know how to operate
> your freedom machines. I keep petitioning the
> county to increase their fine structure for all
> tickets, specifically right turners who don't stop
> on red, which is a violation even without the sign
> that says "NO TURN ON RED".
>
> Enjoy fuck faces
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