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Cary Police to Conduct Holiday Patient Payoff on Tryon Road, Walnut Street to Prevent Aggressive Driving

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2008

CARY, NC – In its continuing effort to maintain safe driving conditions, the Town of Cary Police Department will kick off another round of its quarterly aggressive driving campaign just in time for the holidays; “Operation Holiday Patient Payoff” will be held on Wednesday, December 17 on Tryon Road from Kildaire Farm Road to Walnut Street and on Walnut Street from Maynard Road to Tryon Road.  As part of the ongoing Operation Patient Payoff campaign, Cary Police will monitor motorists along the corridors to detect speeding, tailgating and lane change violations from 9 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.  

During the campaign, motorists may see both uniformed officers in their assigned Police vehicles, and unmarked Police cars and motorcycles along the sections of Tryon Road and Walnut Street .  Officers’ vehicles will be equipped with radar and LIDAR (laser detection technologies) to identify aggressive drivers.

“Several accidents have occurred in the areas around Tryon Road and Walnut Street , including at least one DWI collision, which is why we chose to focus on these areas,” said Lt. Randall Rhyne.  “In the midst of the holiday season, we hope this campaign will remind motorists to slow down and pay more attention while driving.  Our goal is to keep our citizens and visitors safe on the roadways during this season and throughout the year.”

Rhyne added that police are reminding motorists to allow a distance of at least three seconds between their vehicle and the one in front of them to allow for an adequate distance to react to changing conditions.

The Town of Cary kicked off the first round of Operation Patient Payoff along U.S. 1 from Walnut Street to Cary Parkway in March 2007.  Since that time, the Town has also monitored sections along N.C. 55.  In November 2008, the Town also kicked off Operation Safe Shopper to further encourage safe driving and safe shopping during the holiday season.    

To further decrease the number of aggressive drivers, the Town has established a “Road Watch” hotline at (919) 319-4521 for motorists to report aggressive driving.  If numerous complaints are received for one particular area, the Police Department responds by increasing visibility on the street through patrols, radar trailers and speed sentries that display speeds to oncoming drivers.  For complaints received on individual drivers not witnessed by the police, courtesy letters are sent reminding these drivers of the need to slow down.

The campaign comes in part from a grant award from the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program.  In the fall of 2006, the Cary Police Department received a grant award that funded two traffic safety team officers, and with two fully equipped vehicles, including radars.

Additional campaigns are planned for 2009.  Because this effort is as much about awareness as enforcement, the corridors are announced at the start of each campaign.

 

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PRIMARY CONTACTS:

Randall Rhyne, Police Lieutenant, (919) 319-4514

April Raphiou, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 481-5091

Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951