Government Law Newsroom

New Haven's Traffic Enforcement Campaign Underway End Of Grace Period For Motorists

NEW HAVEN - In May, Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., and Police Chief Melvin H. Wearing announced a new traffic enforcement plan and launched the "DriveSmart" public awareness campaign to get motorists to drive responsibly and help make city streets safer.

Since the announcement, police initiated a warning period to help motorists focus on their driving behavior and encourage compliance with all traffic laws.  As appropriate, vehicle operators were issued customized warning cards by police, which informed them of the specific violation(s).  A copy of the card is kept by police for record keeping purposes to help generate useful information on locations or areas with chronic motor vehicle and quality of life problems as well as the type of violations which are more prevalent.  This information will assist police in determining future deployment activity and enforcement action. 

This campaign is a significant part of our efforts to make New Haven a safer city," said Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., "We've offered this grace period to make the motoring public aware that we are concerned about the safety and welfare of our residents.  We intend to aggressively enforce traffic regulations and reduce the number of traffic violations that endanger motorists and pedestrians alike," DeStefano noted.

In the month of May, when the initiative was announced, police issued 2,102 violations and warnings for motor vehicle and other quality of life incidents.  Police have issued more motor vehicle and quality of life violations, infractions and warnings this year from January to the end of May (6,943) as compared to the   MORE same 5 month time period last year in 1998, (5,691).  In comparison, the number of violations, infractions, and warnings issued by police increased by 22%.

According to Chief Wearing, police have repeatedly been at problem intersections throughout the city to help modify driving behavior.  "Since we announced the initiative, we've been concentrating police resources at known problem areas.  At times we have been at specific locations over the course of several days in a row or intermittently.  As a result, people anticipate that police will be there and are more cautious about driving behavior.  They know we're out there enforcing traffic laws.  Our visible presence itself is an effective deterrent.  Generally, when people see us, they slow down or are more attentive to driving safely so they won't get stopped and issued a warning or violation ticket, "  said Chief Wearing.

Besides increased police visibility and the warning cards, the city developed colorful flyers which encourage motorists to "Drive Smart - Do Your Part!"   It concisely describes New Haven's effort and appeals to drivers to help set a good example and increase street safety by following the rules of the road.  It asks drivers specifically to obey speed limits and traffic signs, buckle up, stop at stop signs, use turn signals, register vehicles, among other safe driving habits.  It also has a telephone number, 946-7303, for the public to call for more information about the initiative or to pass along information to help police identify problem areas. 

The flyers are available for the public at substations, libraries, court, and other city locations, as well as have been distributed through the city's parking facilities, and special mailings to residents.  The city also plans to use busboard advertisement to help remind drivers about safe motor vehicle operation while they are on the road.