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2004 SESSION

048374496
HOUSE BILL NO. 1344
Offered January 22, 2004
A BILL to require the Superintendent of State Police to establish a one-year pilot project to improve safety and law enforcement along the Interstate 81 corridor; report to Governor and General Assembly.
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Patrons-- Saxman and Cline
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Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
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Whereas, Project Alliance was implemented in Augusta County to facilitate interagency cooperation in pursuit of the common goals of reducing traffic crash-related injuries and deaths, educating youthful drivers, promoting safety belt use, and encouraging voluntary compliance with traffic laws; and

Whereas, success of such a program depends upon the cooperation and coordination of both public and private entities, united by the common goal of making our roads safer; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds it desirable to establish a one-year pilot program, modeled on Augusta County's Project Alliance, embracing the entire length of Interstate Route 81 in the Commonwealth; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. The Superintendent of State Police shall designate, from his department, a person with extensive knowledge of issues associated with traffic safety and law enforcement along the Interstate Route 81 corridor, to serve as Director to establish and direct a program similar to Augusta County's Project Alliance for the entire length of Interstate Route 81 in the Commonwealth. The Director shall employ new methods and approaches to increase safety and law enforcement without the use of additional financial or other resources. The Director shall report only to the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee. The Superintendent shall also designate one State Police officer from each State Police office having responsibility for any portion of Interstate Route 81 to participate in this program under the supervision of the Director.

§ 2. The Director shall work with local and state agencies including but not limited to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, volunteer and professional fire and rescue departments, law-enforcement agencies, schools, institutions of higher education, the news media, insurance companies, manufacturing and other industries, trucking companies, motor vehicle dealers, and individual volunteers to achieve maximum effectiveness of this program. The program may include (i) targeted enforcement days along the entire Interstate Route 81 corridor; (ii) installation, in coordination with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, of safety signs to inform drivers of enforcement efforts and provide safety messages; (iii) involvement of trucking companies in offering safe driving tips, displaying safe driving stickers on their trucks; (iv) development of a project website accessible to the news media, students, and the general public; (v) cooperation with the news media in distributing targeted messages about safe driving behaviors; and (vi) offering safe driving literature and information at rest stops.

The Director shall be given full ability and responsibility to develop innovative programs to improve safety along the entire Interstate Route 81 corridor.

§ 3. At the conclusion of the one-year pilot project, the Director shall report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the effectiveness of the project, including its impact on (i) the number and severity of traffic crashes, (ii) seat belt use, and (iii) the number of traffic law violations.