During high traffic times, drivers have a tendency to get stranded in the intersection at I-89's exit 20 and Route 12A in West Lebanon. Lebanon Public works has painted two large boxes with an x in each across the intersection to encourage drivers not to block the road when traffic backs up. (Valley News - James M. Patterson)
During high traffic times, drivers have a tendency to get stranded in the intersection at I-89's exit 20 and Route 12A in West Lebanon. Lebanon Public works has painted two large boxes with an x in each across the intersection to encourage drivers not to block the road when traffic backs up. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

WEST LEBANON — Starting Tuesday, the Lebanon Police Department is carrying out intensified traffic patrols along South Main Street and Route 12A, two of the city’s most heavily traveled roads.

The high-visibility patrols are in response to increased concerns about aggressive driving, distracted driving and motor vehicle collisions, Lebanon Police Chief Phillip Roberts wrote in a Monday news release.

The concerns have come in mainly through Facebook posts, Roberts said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

To reduce traffic violations and prevent crashes, patrols are specifically targeting dangerous driving behaviors like excessive speeding, following too closely, running red lights, passing stop signs and blocking intersections.

The patrols are also targeting distracted driving, especially motorists using electronic devices.

In the first two and a half hours of Tuesday’s patrols, 48 motorists were stopped by seven or eight officers, Roberts said on Tuesday.

The patrols will last for a few weeks, Roberts said, “until we see some improvement in driving behaviors.”

Lukas Dunford is a staff writer at the Valley News. He can be reached at 603-727-3208 and ldunford@vnews.com.