I-40 speed and distracted driving enforcement operation scheduled for Thursday

State troopers of the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division will join forces tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 30) with officers of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, Highway Police, in a coordinated speed enforcement and distracted driving patrol saturation along Interstate 40 from West Memphis to Fort Smith.

According to a release from the Arkansas State Police, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. nearly 100 law enforcement officers will concentrate their patrols along I-40.

The state troopers will be using conventional radar speed detection equipment onboard their patrol vehicles, however, the operation will also include the use of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) speed detection equipment that will be operated along or near the highway right-of-way, the release said.

Motorists may see troopers and officers using the handheld specialized equipment at overpasses across I-40 or at unusual locations near or off the highway.

Aircraft from the Arkansas State Police Aviation Section will be incorporated into the operation and used to detect speed from aerial observations, according to the release.

Conventional high profile trucks will also be used as mobile platforms to detect distracted driving.

The Arkansas State Police routinely uses relatively small numbers of troopers in pre-selected portions of the interstate during localized speed enforcement operations, the release noted.

Thursday’s coordinated enforcement operation with ArDOT Highway Police joined by state troopers along the entire east-west interstate highway will be one of the largest operations the two law enforcement agencies have participated in as a team, state police said.

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