The Department of Public Safety put together a special enforcement detail hoping to change driver behavior in honor of an Arizona Department of Transportation worker who lost his life.
Earlier this month, Frank Dorizio was hit and killed while setting up signs about upcoming freeway repairs just south of Phoenix on Interstate 10.
DPS troopers put together a "Move Over for Dorizio" detail last week.
Operation Safe Roads received the statistics from DPS about the stops and citations troopers issued within five hours over two days.
A total of 51 troopers participated in the detail (29 on 03/17, and 22 on 03/19).
They made 110 stops for "move over" violations (31 on 03/17, 79 on 03/19).
They made 76 contacts with distracted drivers (28 on 03/17, 48 on 03/19), and 26 stops were made on commercial vehicles (14 on 03/17, 12 on 03/19).
Overall:
- Troopers made 424 contacts (206 on 03/17, 218 on 03/19)
- Troopers issued 304 citations (140 on 03/17, 164 on 03/19)
- 31 seat belt citations were issued (15 on 03/17, 16 on 03/19)
- 5 child restraint citations were issued (3 on 03/17, 2 on 03/19)
- 2 DUI arrests were made (03/17 only) including a stop where a trooper spotted vehicle occupants attempting to burn and smoke pills while driving next to a patrol vehicle.
DPS says with regard to the stops made with distracted drivers, those were specific to warnings given regarding the Hands Free Law.