The Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Thanks for not speeding.
Police officers in Rochester are handing out thank-you notes - not tickets - to some drivers traveling along Route 11, which they refer to as the city’s most hazardous route. Bike Officer Jamey Balint handed out 50 thank-you notices Tuesday morning alone.
The notes warn that the road is notorious for accidents, with 312 accidents between June 1, 2001, and June 1, 2004, on the roughly three-mile stretch between the Farmington border and the Route 16 overpass.
The notes began with the centered, bold heading “thank you,” and continue, “Route 11 is one of the city’s most hazardous roads. In an effort to make it safer, the Rochester Police Department is conducting a speed enforcement campaign and a public awareness campaign which targets commuters, shoppers, and residents who regularly travel on this road. We would like to thank-you for driving in a safe and respectful manner today.”
The goal of the program is to tell those people who obey the speed limit that their efforts are appreciated, Lt. Paul Callaghan said.
“We want to make sure people don’t think we’re just out handing out tickets,” he said.
Callaghan added, “We have had a tremendously positive response from people on the road and in the city, but we’ve also had numerous suggestions to get tougher on the people who do speed.”
The preliminary stages of the increased enforcement began July 1, resulting in more than 100 stops in just 31 days. The tally of stops numbered more than 150 as of Aug. 17, Callaghan said.
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