State Troopers Step Up Patrols For New Year’s

More state troopers will be on the roads now through New Year’s Day, part of an effort to reduce traffic deaths this time of year.

Maryland State Police said in a statement Friday they would be targeting areas where crashes and impaired driving arrests are the highest.

According to state police, there were six deaths on Maryland roads between Dec. 30, 2011 and Jan. 3, 2012. Police said two of those deaths involved impaired drivers.

The additional patrols coincide with the Maryland Highway Safety Office initiative “Towards Zero Deaths” and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiative “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Overtime costs for additional patrols was funded by grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office, state police said.