Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger announced Monday the launch of “Safe Start to Summer 2024,” a three-week road safety campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding and distracted driving, promote a culture of safety and respect on roadways, and help save lives.

The campaign is a collaboration among the Ulster County Executive, Ulster County Transportation Council, Ulster County Traffic Safety Board, Office of the Ulster County Sheriff, local governments, and state and local law enforcement. It involves both public education and enhanced enforcement of traffic laws at specific locations around Ulster County. The enforcement program will take place from July 1 to 14 at locations identified by local governments and law enforcement, or based on data from the Ulster County Transportation Council indicating a higher-than-average risk of traffic incidents. The public education campaign will begin this week and continue through mid-July.

County initiatives aim to address growing problems on roadways with distracted driving and aggressive driving, which has been on the rise since the pandemic. In her State of the County address, Metzger announced plans for road safety initiatives in the wake of several tragic motor vehicle incidents, including a crash on Route 28 in Shandaken and hit-and-run incidents in Saugerties and New Paltz that claimed four young lives. A third hit-and-run incident occurred several weeks later in Marlborough, resulting in two more deaths.

“Every life is valuable, and we have to work together to make our roads in Ulster County safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike,” said Metzger. “With the school year ending and more young people out enjoying the summer, and with the influx of summer tourists we typically see, this is a good time to raise awareness and encourage safe and responsible behaviors on our roads. I want to thank all of our partners, including the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, the Ulster County Transportation Council and Traffic Safety Board, State Police, and the many local governments and law enforcement agencies for their enthusiastic support and participation in the ‘Safe Start to Summer’ campaign. This is the first of a number of road safety initiatives we are planning for the coming year.”

“The last few years have seen the disregard of traffic laws causing preventable deaths,” said Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa. “Traffic safety is the responsibility of all on the road, whether driving, walking, on a bicycle or motorcycle. Pay attention to traffic laws, don’t be distracted by cellphones, and save lives.”