DPS program saving three lives per month

On December 29, 2008, the Arizona Department of Public Safety released statistics found from the first 80 days of the program. According to DPS, property crashes were reduced by -12%, injury crashes by -17%, and fatality collisions by -29%. The statistics were derived from a comparison to collisions on the metro Phoenix freeway system from September 26, 2007 to December 16, 2007. On average, this is three lives per month being saved on valley freeways. “Speed is usually a primary or secondary factor in most serious injury and fatal collisions,” said DPS spokesman Bart Graves. The program saw similar success in late November with Operation Border to Border. On November 26, 2008, DPS, in partnership with Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), placed 42 mobile units along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40 in Arizona. Accidents dropped from 29 in 2007 to 2 in 2008. The program currently uses a combination of fixed-speed and mobile-speed units along the state highways.