Wisconsin State Patrol to conduct special enforcement Friday to stop risky driving in Washington County

By Steve Schuster

[email protected]

The Wisconsin State Patrol Southeast Region, in partnership with Germantown Police Department, will conduct special traffic enforcement patrols in Washington County on May 19.

“Officers will focus on stopping risky driving behaviors that lead to serious injury and fatal crashes,” officials said.

The Wisconsin State Patrol analyzes crash data from WisDOT’s Community Maps program to determine deployment areas. The goal is to step up enforcement and education in areas identified as hotspots to prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths.

Speeding, distracted driving, and driving recklessly endanger everyone on our roads, officials added.

Officials said that most crashes are preventable, and drivers can avoid serious injury or death by following some simple steps:

• Don’t speed. Speed increases the severity of crashes.
• Drive sober. Alcohol and drugs inhibit reaction times and make it harder for a driver to focus on safely operating a vehicle.
• Buckle up. Wearing a seat belt can greatly decrease the severity of injury in a crash. Make sure children are in the proper safety seat.
• Put the phone down. 1 in 5 crashes involves distracted driving. Turn off your phone or download an app to prevent incoming and outgoing messages, calls, and notifications while driving.
• Drive courteously. Courteous driving encourages other drivers to be courteous. Aggressive driving influences others to drive aggressively.