DENVER-The Colorado State Patrol will launch a new program July 1 in conjunction with wireless carriers and VisionTek Inc. in an effort to combat aggressive driving.
Motorists who witness “road rage” can dial *CSP on their wireless phone to reach a CSP Communications Center. Officers can immediately be dispatched to investigate the situation, and warning letters can be sent to vehicle owners that are repeatedly reported using printouts of each call generated by the STAR CSP system.
The CSP already runs a program that allows drivers to report drunk drivers by dialing *DUI. The STAR CSP (Start Taking an Active Role) program will not replace existing *DUI programs.
Wireless carriers participating in the program include AirTouch Cellular, AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Nextel Communications Inc., Sprint Spectrum L.P., Western Wireless Corp. and U S West Inc. Carriers connect the call to CSP Communications Centers at no charge.
“The new STAR CSP program offers numerous other benefits to assist the CSP in accomplishing its mission, said Colonel Lonnie J. Westphal, chief of the CSP. “The new program allows motorists to notify us of other dangerous driving behaviors, hazardous road conditions and alert us to motorists in need of assistance.
“The VisionTek software program provides us with instant access to related enforcement and safety information and the ability to share it with other law enforcement agencies both in Colorado and nationally, as well as other essential states organizations such as the Colorado Department of Transportation,” continued Westphal.
The CSP said Denver is the first city to offer a program specifically aimed at deterring aggressive driving.
“We have taken a more aggressive stance against aggressive driving than other cities,” said Westphal. “I think it’s our job to watch what the citizens are concerned about, and aggressive driving is what most people are complaining about.”
The program will begin just days before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, which will allow the CSP to test the system during a typically busy time on the roads. CSP Technician Jeff Goodwin said police presence on the roads will be increased during the first few days of the program, as is usual during major holidays.
Goodwin said statistics indicate that DUI citations are decreasing, but the number of citations issued for aggressive driving is on the rise.
CSP patrol cars are equipped with Global Positioning System technology, and the department has plans to add a variety of mobile data computing functions to the vehicles. The goal is a “paperless patrol car,” said Westphal.
Once the wireless industry irons out location technologies in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission’s mandate, the location of *CSP and *DUI callers could be provided to the nearest officer, said Westphal.
