Jun 29, 2010 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

Just in time for the coming holiday weekend, Uniontown police will have another tool at their disposal to help combat aggressive driving. The state Department of Transportation announced Monday that they have provided the police department with an Electronic Non Radar Device (ENRADD) to use as part of PennDOT’s Aggressive Driving Enforcement Program and for regular use by the police department.

Last year, 33 motorists were killed in vehicle accidents in Fayette County.

PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said the overall goal is to reduce that number and make area roads safer for motorists, including motorists in Uniontown.

“Our focus and goal is getting people to slow down, minimize crashes and save lives,” Ofsanik said.

Ofsanik said the ENRADD system in Uniontown is one of 15 in use in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The ENRADD system consists of two metal bars, each about 3 feet long that are placed on opposing sides of a road.

Uniontown police crash reconstruction expert David J. Rutter said that the metal bars send two infrared signals across the street at a distance of 3 feet apart and that the system then electronically calculates a vehicle’s speed as it travels through the signals.

Rutter said that the speed is then sent to a handheld receiver being used by a police officer.

While displaying the system Monday, a team of five Uniontown police officers in three separate vehicles nabbed 10 speeders in less than an hour on Morgantown Street.

Rutter said that the system provides a freedom that is not afforded to municipal police departments that are normally stuck conducting traffic details using methods including stop watches and lines painted on roads where speeding frequently occurs.

“This system allows us to move it throughout the city and gives us a significant advantage in combating aggressive driving,” Rutter said, noting that the city has about two fatal crashes annually. “Our goal, always, is to maintain the highest level of safety for Uniontown residents and motorists traveling city streets and roads.”

The new system, coupled with the bolstered complement of city police officers and on-board computer systems in Uniontown police cars, will give as few as two officers the ability to conduct significant traffic details.

“This tool is another example of new technology being integrated into the department for routine use,” Uniontown police Chief Jason A. Cox said. “We are grateful to PennDOT for supplying the system and, with our increased manpower, are ready to further increase traffic details and patrols in Uniontown.”

The ENRADD system also will be available for use by other area police departments.