Thanks to a state grant, local law enforcement agencies have a special focus on aggressive driving in the Bradford area this month.

Local police will be on the lookout for “most any type of moving violation, including stop signs, speeding, following too closely, bad passes — anything that would be a safety issue,” said Chief Tom Munn, head of the Foster Township Police Department.

He added that people may also be cited for having no registration or inspection at the same time, but “that’s not what (the program) is designed for.”

Munn explained its purpose is about safety, not tickets.

“It’s to lower the potential for danger on our highways,” he said — not to cite people.

According to the Pennsylvania Traffic Safety Enforcement Resource Center, this wave also includes a special focus on speeding, work zone safety, distracted driving and school bus enforcement. This wave coincides with National Work Zone Awareness Week, which is April 8-12, and National Distracted Driving Month, which is April.

Munn added that with the better weather coming, it provides a friendly reminder for motorists to be mindful of their speed and their surroundings.

He noted that other local municipalities such as Bradford Township and Bradford City also participate in the program.

The grant is usually for between $1,500 and $2,000 at a time, and funding runs in two or three waves a year, he said. The program provides funding to have an extra officer out at certain times, but Munn said officers will also be out monitoring traffic during down times in their regular shifts.

Foster Township has also participated in another state safety program, Buckle Up PA, he noted.

Munn agreed that better weather means more aggressive driving.

In the winter, most people slow down, but into “spring, summer and even into the fall, people tend to drive faster, tend to take more risks,” he said.

Even though there’s more accidents in winter, they are normally at low speeds, such as when vehicles slide off the road into snowbanks without causing injury. Accidents that occur when road conditions improve tend to be worse.

“Speed is what actually causes serious accidents,” he said.

Munn noted that new car designs also lessen injury risk — when cars are traveling at slower speeds.

“The way cars are made today, they are made to handle mid-level crashes,” he said. “With high speed, they become more serious.”

The Foster Township Police Department just received aggressive driving enforcement funding again after not qualifying for awhile.

Munn explained that preference for the funding is given to municipalities with worse driving statistics. Awards are based on reportable accidents, which he explained includes accidents with injuries or with vehicles that need to be towed.

“Our statistics were not sufficiently high enough,” he said.

Munn explained, “Although we had our issues with crashes, our crashes tend to be lower speed” compared to some other municipalities.

After not qualifying for the grant for awhile, “The number of participating departments dropped, so funding became more available to us,” he said.

“We were sorry we lost (the grant). In a way, we were penalized for having good statistics,” Munn said, though he added that it’s good to know people are statistically less likely to get hurt in a Foster Township crash.

While the way traffic is set up in Foster Township has meant fewer serious crashes, the township does have its own traffic problems.

Recent business development in Foster Brook — which has been good for the township in many ways — also causes additional traffic safety issues.

“Higher volume roads tend to have more accidents,” said Munn, who is pleased to have the additional funding to maintain a police presence in Foster Brook. “The whole point is to try to remind people to be careful.”

Also, the type of businesses means there is a more continuous flow of traffic.

“Our traffic tends to be anytime and all the time,” said Munn.

According to the Pennsylvania Traffic Safety Enforcement Resource Center, this is the second wave of the 2018-19 Aggressive Driving Waves.

The first took place Oct. 22-Nov. 25.

During that time, municipal agencies reported 7,863 citations and arrests. Citations included 4,212 for speeding-related actions, 721 for failure to obey traffic control signals or signs, 573 for failure to obey traffic control devices and 189 for occupant protection violations. Arrests that resulted from traffic stops, which totaled 155, included nine felony arrests; 22 for DUI-alcohol; eight for DUI-controlled substances; five for DUI-alcohol and controlled substances; and 111 other arrests.

A total of 216 municipal law enforcement agencies and state police from 15 troops tooks part.