MERCER COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will be starting a new traffic enforcement program to lessen the amount of crashes in the county.

Car crashes and fatalities due to speeding drivers, impaired drivers, aggressive drivers, and other acts of careless driving, such as not wearing a seatbelt, are often seen in West Virginia.

According to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, there are more than 1200 car crashes reported in Mercer County on average each year, and fatal crash reports from 2017-2021 show that Mercer County is ranked seventh in the state for fatal crashes, totaling 58 deaths during those years. Out of the 58 deaths, 48% were reportedly not wearing seat belts.

In an attempt to lessen the number of crashes, a proactive traffic enforcement program will be enforced by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, where they will work with the WV Coalfields Highway Safety Program, along with the WV Governor’s Highway Safety Program funded overtime patrols, to choose a deputy that will focus on full time traffic enforcement.

Deputy N.J. Mason was chosen to be the one for this law enforcement position, as he is also a Drug Recognition Expert and will be able to recognize and arrest any drug impaired drivers.

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will also be enforcing multiple other traffic laws as well as the traffic enforcement program.