ROAD – 3 days to go

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
February 25, 2009

Woodstock PD’s February traffic initiative is almost over. ROAD stands for "Reduction of Aggressive Driving." I’ve tried to watch the newspaper for information about enforcement activities, but I haven’t seen anything about it. Maybe because the Northwest Herald doesn’t print it, or maybe because the Woodstock Police Department doesn’t release interim statistics.

This month-long enforcement campaign was to target aggressive drivers – those who follow too closely, fail to adjust speed while merging, pass improperly on the right, and fail to signal when required. Other targets are drivers who are inattentive; examples of inattentive driving include driving while talking on a cell phone, texting, reading a book or newspaper, putting on make-up, shaving or (yuck!) brushing teeth.

According to a Memo from Sgt. Leard to Deputy Chief Bozer, “Officers that are detailed to perform during this special enforcement initiative shall adopt a zero tolerance for violation such as the ones listed above.”

“Zero tolerance” usually means that, if a driver gets stopped, he gets a ticket; no warnings.

Woodstock drivers should expect a report by the police department on this program. Hopefully, there will be a detailed and complete press release that will be printed by the Northwest Herald and The Woodstock Independent. If I can get a copy of it, I’ll print it here.

If there is no press release, I’ll read the police department’s report about ROAD to the City Council, if there is one, in the monthly Departmental report that is buried out-of-sight in the City Council packet (read this at City Hall or at the Woodstock Public Library during the three days before a City Council meeting) and publish the summary here.

How about you? Did you have an encounter of the third kind with a Woodstock officer this month?