Patrol surges on Route 24, Interstate 195 helped nab drunken drivers

After a July 15 crash killed a man and a teenage girl on Route 24, Col. Timothy Alben, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, decided it was time for action.
The crash was one of four major wrecks on the highway in a one-week span. A 12-year-old girl was also killed on Route 24 just a few days prior.
In response, Alben called a meeting in his office at State Police headquarters in Framingham. In attendance were Maj. Anthony Thomas Jr., Massachusetts State Police Troop D commander, and Lt. Andrew Klane, commander of the State Police Collision Accident Reconstruction Section. The goal was to address the high number of accidents recently on Route 24.
"He wanted a leaning forward strategy. He wasn’t going to be satisfied with the status quo," Thomas said.
What resulted was Thomas’ brainchild: an intelligence- and data-driven campaign to crack down on distracted, impaired and aggressive drivers.
Analyzing OUI and crash report data from the past four years, Thomas was able to identify Route 24 and Interstate 195 as two hotspots for traffic arrests, citations and crashes, and he found that the peak hours were between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The data also showed that the vast majority of crashes on these roads were due to operator error and not mechanical failure or environmental/roadway factors, Thomas said.
"Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of bad crashes on Route 24, and we know the cause of those crashes. Although the road is challenging and the design is challenging, we know that — I would suggest — 98 percent or better are operator error," Thomas said.
"It’s an easy excuse to stigmatize 24 as one of our most dangerous roadways, but these crashes are not caused by that roadway," he added.
Thomas’ campaign had three components: a surge in State Police patrols during peak hours on weekends, MassDOT signage along Route 24 and I-195 and a media campaign to stress responsible driving to the public.
The pilot program was to last 10 weeks, and it was launched with a press conference on July 26 at the Burger King Plaza on Route 24.
"We need to partner up with the public," Thomas said. "We need the public not only to be attentive but to take personal responsibility and realize that by you driving safely, you not only ensure your own safety but you ensure others safety."