Highway Patrol Enforcement Effort Starts Friday

The Wyoming Highway Patrol will be focusing on Interstate 80 August 28th through the 30th as part of the multi-state '"Border to Border'' enforcement initiative.

Sergeant David Wagener says the initiative was originally launched in Iowa, targeting Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 for traffic enforcement. The two interstates were targeted because they account for a large percentage of the traffic fatalities in that state, especially in the period before Labor Day.

Several other states, including Wyoming, have since joined the effort. But since I-35 doesn't pass through the Cowboy State, the Wyoming effort will instead target only I-80.

Wagener says troopers will be out in force on I-80 over the period looking for all types of violations. But he says special attention will be paid to the most common causes of fatal accidents--impaired driving, distracted driving and speeding.

Wagener says that while the dangers of impaired driving are well known to most people by now, distracted driving, such as texting while driving, can be just as dangerous.

Wagener says the goal is zero fatalities on I-80 over the three day period.