September SMART Results

October 04, 2007
Contact: Elise Schaffer, PIO Phone: (608) 284-6142 FAX: (608) 284-6163
Sheriff's Office

October 4, 2007. Madison, WI – September marks the fourth and final month the Dane County Sheriff’s Office has conducted specialized overtime enforcement know as the “Drive SMART” program on the beltline. Throughout the month, Sheriff’s deputies along with police officers from Madison and Monona handed out a total of 175 citations and 67 written warnings. As has been the case throughout the programs existence, speeding topped the list of citations at 46. That was followed by 44 citations for vehicle registration violations and 40 citations for Operating After Revocation/Suspension. 19 people were cited for not wearing their seatbelts, in addition to 2 citations for children not being properly restrained. 11 drivers were arrested for Operating While Intoxicated, and 6 criminal drug arrests were made, along with 1 felony arrest. “Thanks in part to the success of the “Drive SMART” program, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office is continuing it’s commitment to increase traffic safety in Dane County. The 2008 budget contains 3 additional traffic team deputies whose primary focus will be enforcement on the beltline and other major roadways where speed and aggressive driving threaten the lives of everyone on the road. Dane County is a leader on many issues throughout the state, but being a leader in traffic fatalities is a role that we would like to relinquish,” said Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney. This traffic safety campaign was made possible through a $75,000 grant by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Safety. Enforcement efforts resulted in a total of 895 citations and 210 written warnings issued. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office, City of Madison, Monona, Cottage Grove, Middleton, and Town of Madison Police Departments all worked collaboratively on this project.