Stop sign violation blitz held all week

The Southeast Region of the North Dakota Highway Patrol conducted a seven-day high emphasis enforcement blitz on Oct. 19-25. The emphasis was placed on violations for failing to stop or yield at a stop sign, red light, or yellow light and failing to yield at an intersection. The Southeast Region is comprised of the following 15 counties: Eddy, Foster, Stutsman, Logan, McIntosh, Dickey, LaMoure, Barnes, Griggs, Steele, Trail, Cass, Ransom, Sergeant and Richland.

During this high emphasis period the Southeast Region issued 347 total citations and 257 warnings. Of the citations issued, 64 were for right-of-way violations, 61 for no seat belt and 142 for speed.

This emphasis period was conducted in order to draw public awareness to the issue of right-of-way violations as causation factors in motor vehicle crashes and to gain compliance to the traffic laws from the motoring public.

So far in 2009, North Dakota has recorded 18 fatalities where a right-of-way violation was a contributing factor to the crash. In 2008, 15 fatalities involved a right-of-way violation as a contributing factor to the crash. In an effort to draw awareness to this issue, Southeast Region troopers were out on patrol placing an increased emphasis on enforcement of these violations.

Tags: local news, north dakota, news, stop, sign, yield, light, blitz