Fairfax County Police to introduce new aggressive driving deterrent initiative

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — In an effort to deter unsafe and aggressive driving in Fairfax County, the police department is introducing a new initiative called Road Shark.

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and Virginia State Police troopers will utilize "high-visibility enforcement operations" targeting areas with high crash concentrations to reduce crashes on the road, FCPD said in a news release.

The police department will introduce project Road Shark Monday at 1 p.m. outside of the Public Safety Headquarters in the 12000 block of Government Center Parkway in Fairfax.

This is not the first time FCPD has rolled out a campaign to combat aggressive driving under the name "Road Shark." According to a Washington Post article dated Sep. 16, 1988, the department rolled out a similarly named program in the late 1990s to "target aggressive drivers." A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the program utilized officers in unmarked patrol cars, and said the program was conducted in waves every three months using 30-40 officers. 

In a plan presented to Fairfax's Safety and Security Committee Meeting on Jan. 31, 2023 the "Road Shark" campaign is listed as happening in March, June and August, with an additional "Road Shark Speed Campaign" planned for July.

The car involved in a crash on Lee Chapel Road that killed two teens and injured another teen was going 100 mph, the Fairfax County Police Department said Jan. 24.

The teen who survived the crash is still in the hospital. The driver and rear passenger died in the crash. 

After reviewing evidence from the crash and the vehicle’s airbag control module, detectives say the Lexus was traveling 100.7 mph before the crash. 

Detectives also believe the car was airborne for approximately 130 feet.