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Overview
The Smooth Operator Program is a public safety initiative, which aims to provide education, information and solutions for the problem of aggressive driving. For nearly ten years, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have partnered through the Smooth Operator Program to combat aggressive driving. Law enforcement agencies, trauma experts, government officials and other professionals have worked together to educate motorists of the risks involved with aggressive driving, and to stigmatize aggressive driving behavior on our roads.
History of the Smooth Operator Program
The Smooth Operator program, which was started in 1997, has expanded during the past seven years in participating law enforcement agencies and in the effectiveness of the program's public awareness and education.
For instance, in 2003, 66 law enforcement agencies participated in the program and issued 238,198 citations and warnings. More than 900,000 have been issued since 1997.
Eighteen law enforcement agencies in the Washington area launched Smooth Operator in 1997, conducting four separate week-long enforcement waves in an effort to understand and combat aggressive driving. Although the law enforcement effort was successful, and resulted in 62,000 citations, officials felt more was needed to raise awareness and change behavior.
A coalition of elected officials, government agencies, private sector organizations and law enforcement agencies from all three jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area met to develop a comprehensive program to reduce aggressive driving. They wanted to learn more about the seriousness of the aggressive driving problem and felt that the motorists needed to be educated about the dangers involved with aggressive driving.
As a result, in 2000, a public awareness and education component was added to the program, which aimed to inform people about aggressive driving and encourage them to be more aware of their potential to drive aggressively, particularly in congested traffic or when they are stressed.
Sponsoring Organizations
- Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Motor Vehicles
- District of Columbia, District Department of Transportation
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
- Maryland State Highway Administration, Highway Safety Office
- Metropolitan Police Department
Participating Agencies and Organizations
- AAA Mid-Atlantic
- Buckle Up PA
- District of Columbia, Department of Motor Vehicles
- District of Columbia Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Federal Highway Administration
- Maryland Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- INOVA Fairfax Hospital
- Maryland Department of Transportation
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- North Central Highway Safety Network
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Virginia Department of Transportation
Participating Law Enforcement Agencies
2006 Law Enforcement Agencies*
District of Columbia
- Metropolitan Police Department
State of Maryland
- Aberdeen Police Department
- Allegany County Sheriff's Office
- Annapolis Police Department
- Anne Arundel County Police Department
- Baltimore City Police Department
- Baltimore County Police Department
- Bel Air Police Department
- Berlin Police Department
- Calvert County Sheriff's Office
- Cambridge Police Department
- Cecil County Police Department
- Charles County Sheriff's Office
- Chevy Chase Village Police Department
- Cumberland City Police Department
- Easton Police Department
- Edmonston Police Department
- Elkton Police Department
- Frederick Police Department
- Gaithersburg Police Department
- Greenbelt Police Department
- Hagerstown Police Department
- Harford County Sheriff's Office
- Havre de Grace Police Department
- Howard County Police Department
- Laurel Police Department
- Maryland State Police
- Maryland Transportation Authority Police
- Montgomery County Police Department
- Ocean City Police Department
- Princess Anne Police Department
- Salisbury Police Department
- Smithsburg Police Department
- St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office
- Sykesville Police Department
- University of Maryland Police Department
- Washington County Sheriff's Office
- Westminster Police Department
- Wicomico County Sheriff's Office
- Worchester County Sheriff's Office
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Bristol Township Police Department
- Langhorne Borough Police Department
- Middletown Township Police Department
- Downingtown Borough Police Department
- Haverford Township Police Department
- Marple Township Police Department
- Newtown Township Police Department
- Upper Darby Township Police Department
- East Norriton Township Police Department
- Lower Providence Township Police Department
- Norristown Borough Police Department
- Pottstown Borough Police Department
- West Norriton Township Police Department
- Silver Springs Township Police Department
- City of Harrisburg Police Department
- Lower Paxton Township Police Department
- Penbrook Township Police Department
- Susquehanna Township Police Department
- Manheim Township Police Department
- Springettsbury Township Police Department
- West Manchester Township Police Department
- City of York Police Department
- Exeter Township Police Department
- Muhlenberg Township Police Department
- Northern Berks Regional Police Department
- City of Allentown Police Department
- Salisbury Township Police Department
- South Whitehall Township Police Department
- Whitehall Township Police Department
- City of Bethlehem Police Department
- Colonial Regional Police Department
- New Castle Township Police Department
- City of Pottsville Police Department
- Saint Clair Borough Police Department
Commonwealth of Virginia
- Alexandria City Police Department
- Arlington County Police Department
- Arlington County Sheriff's Office
- Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective
- Services-National Capital
- Town of Dumfries Police Department
- Fairfax City Police Department
- Fairfax County Police Department
- Falls Church City Sheriff's Office
- Falls Church City Police Department
- Town of Haymarket Police Department
- Town of Herndon Police Department
- Town of Leesburg Police Department
- Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
- Manassas City Police Department
- National Park Service-Manassas Battlefield Rangers
- Pentagon Police Department
- Prince William County Police Department
- Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office
- Stafford County Sheriff's Office
- United States Park Police
- Town of Vienna Police Department
- Virginia State Police
* These agencies participated in all four waves, but there are numerous others who participated in one or more enforcement wave weeks.
Recognition Awards - Campaigns, Law Enforcement
- The 2000 Smooth Operator campaign won the Regional and International Public Affairs and Consumer Education Awards for best marketing campaign from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
- The 2000 Smooth Operator radio campaign won an award for Outstanding Radio Creative from the Washington Area Broadcasters Association.
- The 2001 Smooth Operator poster "Closer Than You Think," won the Regional Public Affairs and Consumer Education Award for best poster from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
- The 2002 Smooth Operator billboard, "Victims and Voices," won the Regional Public Affairs and Consumer Education Award for best billboard from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
- The 2003 radio spot, "Think Again," won the Regional Public Affairs and Consumer Education Award for the best radio spot from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
- "The 2004 Television Spot, "Office Aggression" won an Addy Certificate of Excellence for Best PSA/TV."
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