A push to crack down on bad driving in rural areas across Connecticut. A new grant aims to help local police enforce traffic laws on our back roads.
When it comes to driving in Montville, people there are giving some poor reviews.
“Oh, it’s been horrible. People speed. They go through those lights,” Sylvia Fournier, of Montville, said.
“I see a lot of people speeding on the roads and all over the place, weaving in and out of traffic. It’s really not safe,” James Adams, of Norwich, said.
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Many are tired of the bad driving, but there’s help to address that. On Wednesday, the state Department of Transportation announced a $2 million federal grant to fund the High-Risk Rural Roads Enforcement Campaign from March 1 to May 30.
It aims to crack down on speeders driving the back roads. The DOT said the state has averaged 44 deaths on rural roads each year from 2019 to 2023.
“Places where the speed limit is 30 and people are driving 60, just really unsafe dangerous behaviors happening,” Josh Morgan, director of communications with CT DOT, said.
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State police say the enforcement involves beefing up patrols on those back roads, whether it’s state troopers or local officers from departments like Montville. The grants will help pay for overtime and new equipment.
“What our goal is, is to keep the public safe, reduce accidents, and reduce fatalities,” Trooper Remonda Zhuta said.
Last year, DOT said there were more than 7,600 traffic stops and 4,300 speeding citations during this campaign.
People in Montville said more enforcement is a good idea and they're urging drivers to follow the rules.
“Slow down. Take your time. Get off your phone,” Fournier said.
If you do happen to get pulled over and ticketed for speeding, penalties depend on location and how fast you went. Fines can range from $200 to $500 and might include a mandatory court date.
