Stopping the Road Sharks: FCPD and VSP’s 2024 Campaign for Safer Roads

Fairfax County, VA – Today, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and Virginia State Police (VSP) are announcing the launch of “Road Shark” campaign for 2024. Road Shark is a high-visibility and coordinated enforcement and education effort to deter aggressive driving, reduce crashes, and change driving behavior.

Building upon the success of the 2023 initiative, the Road Shark program continues our commitment to ensuring the safety of our community members and enhancing traffic safety on the roadways of Fairfax County. Last year, nearly 25,000 citations and warnings were issued over four waves.

In 2023, the Road Shark initiative made significant strides in promoting safer roads. Through the efforts of our officers, partners, and engaged drivers, we saw a remarkable decrease in traffic incidents and a notable improvement in overall road safety last year.

The Road Shark campaign will once again bring together law enforcement, community organizations, and community members to address and mitigate traffic safety challenges. Through increased patrols, targeted enforcement, and educational outreach, the FCPD aims to create a safer and more secure environment for all road users.

Key features of Road Shark 2024 include:

• High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE): FCPD officers will be strategically conduct enforcement and education areas all over the county to deter unsafe driving behaviors. Officers will be looking for an array of traffic violations including aggressive driving, excessive speeding, driving under the influence, school zone violations, distracted driving, and others. A recent NHTSA synthesis of studies concluded that high-visibility enforcement efforts such as these reduced crashes and improved safety outcomes in study locations.

• Community Engagement and Education: FCPD encourages all community members to play an active role in road safety by adhering to traffic laws, promoting responsible driving behavior, and reporting any concerns to local law enforcement. Road Shark 2024 will involve community engagement, communication, and education to help educate our residents on safe driving practices and raise awareness about the importance of road safety.
  
  
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Fairfax County police officers, along with Virginia State troopers, will utilize data-informed enforcement strategies and operations that target areas with high crash concentrations to reduce crashes. This allows us to identify trends, address specific areas of concern, and implement effective strategies to best address road safety issues.

The FCPD Road Shark program was imagined in 1999 in response to increased crashes and aggressive driving in Fairfax County. The goal of the initiative was simple: reduce crashes and save lives. After each round of increased enforcement, speeding violations and other reckless charges across the county dropped.  With the successful results of the 2023 Road Shark campaign efforts, FCPD aims to continue this program to help deter unsafe driving behaviors and keep Fairfax County roadways safe.

Along with FCPD’s 2024 Monthly Traffic Safety campaigns, Road Shark is an integral part of FCPD’s approach to keeping our roadways safe.

For more on this and other traffic safety initiatives, notifications, and results, follow us on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @FairfaxCountyPD 

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