COLCHESTER, Vt. -
This holiday week Vermont State Police are bringing the heat on speeders for the next two months. Operation Summer H.E.A.T is in effect and police say it's because of the fatality rate so far this year from car crashes. 42 people have died in 36 separate crashes.
"Tickets themselves aren't going to be an indication of success," Lieutenant John Flannigan, Traffic Safety Commander, said.
"We're going to look at success of less injuries and less deaths on our highways."
Some drivers were worried that state police would start pulling people over who were barely going over the speed limit. So we asked them who they were looking for.
"Obviously we're not looking to get people going one mile an hour over two miles an hour over.," Sergeant Garry Scott said.
"That's not realistic and we understand that happens. When people are going up in excess of ten to fifteen that's something they're consciously doing."
We took an hour-and-a-half ride with Sergeant Scott and in that time he pulled over three people. All were driving well above the posted speed limit.
Other drivers wondered if this program was really a way for the state to make more money.
"It's not to make money. There is no quota system that we do," Lieutenant Flannigan said.
"It's that interaction the law enforcement has with the motoring public that tries to change their behavior."
