Too many Hoosiers are dying behind the wheel because of bad driving. In response, Indiana Sate Troopers have started an aggressive safe driving campaign to crackdown on violators.
Indiana State Trooper Justin Hobbs showed Eyewitness News his undercover Dodge pickup to catch aggressive drivers breaking the law. Troopers are less concerned about revealing the type of vehicles they're using in the crackdown and much more concerned about saving lives.
Troopers say their new safety campaign will save lives especially in rural areas.
The aggressive driver campaign involves motorcycle officers, air patrols in a helicopter and other police cars you might not recognize.
Trooper Hobbs' pickup has a fake Indiana Department of Transportation sticker so speeding drivers paid us no attention on Wednesday's ride-along.
"I have been passed by so many crazy drivers that I am shocked that I got pulled over," said Sandra O'Brien, driver.
Undercover vehicles will help troopers stop aggressive drivers, and they are not just looking for speeders.
"Following too close, changing lanes without properly signaling, driving too fast for weather conditions," said Commander John Smithers, Indiana State Police.
During our ride-along, Trooper Hobbs stopped driver after driver.
"I didn't know I was going that fast. I thought I was going with the flow of traffic," said Christopher Gable, driver.
Hobbs repeatedly clocked speeders in construction zones where fines are doubled. One driver said he thought he was doing 45 mph, which is the speed limit in the zone - but he was going faster than that.
Troopers also use high tech lasers to catch violators.
"If you are abiding by traffic laws you don't have anything to worry about," said Hobbs.
They hope to slow down the number of traffic deaths they see on the road.
