DPS aircraft will be active this weekend along State Route 51
May 3, 2015, 9:59 AM | Updated: 9:59 am
In an effort to cut down on serious and fatal-injury motor vehicle accidents, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (ADPS) will be deploying fixed-wing aircraft this upcoming weekend along State Route 51.
According to ADPS, a two-person crew comprising of a pilot and a spotter will use airborne tracking equipment in order to observe motorists traveling recklessly along SR 51.
Upon observing a violation, the crew will communicate via radio with DPS Highway Patrol personnel on the ground to help execute a traffic stop.
“The [Highway Patrol] has seen a number of high-speed rollover collisions in the area of SR 51 and Northern. In an effort to reduce the number of collisions, we will be conducting extensive and aggressive speed enforcement of the area. Motorists are encouraged to drive the speed limit and, when approaching stopped emergency vehicles, to please slow down and move over,” said DPS Sgt. Jacob Pruet.
DPS Highway Patrol motorcycle officers based in Phoenix will make up the ground-based personnel patrolling SR 51 southbound between 32nd Street and Northern Avenue.
On May 2, 35 airplane derived traffic stops were conducted, according to ADPS. The average speed for vehicles stopped along the 65 mph highway was 90.6 mph. The highest speed stopped was 102.1 mph
