Traffic accidents in Cranberry and Jackson have declined this year, and the Jackson police chief attributes the drop in part to the Smooth Operator program.

Jackson police Chief Len Keller said three fatalities occurred in the township in 2006, none in 2007 and none so far this year.

"Our reportable crashes are also down, and we attribute it to the traffic grants for Buckle Up Pa and Smooth Operator that we receive," he said.

In 2006, Jackson officers responded to 110 reportable crashes, Mr. Keller said. In 2007, they responded to 62, a 44 percent reduction.

All crashes -- reportable and nonreportable -- declined by 14 percent in that period, he said.

"So far, for 2008 we are seeing a similar trend," he said.

Cranberry, too, is seeing that trend. In 2007, that township had a total of 247 reportable crashes, two fatalities and one pedestrian fatality, Cpl. Barry Hartman said. From Jan. 1 through Aug. 31 of this year, the township has had 70 reportable crashes and no fatalities, he said.

The Smooth Operator program targets aggressive driving through education of the public and coordinated enforcement by officers. Buckle Up Pennsylvania aims to increase seat belt use.

Smooth Operator started in 1997 in Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania joined in 2006, and now roughly 330 police departments around the state take part.

Crash data from the state Department of Transportation is used to determine which police departments are eligible to participate in Smooth Operator based on the number of incidents of aggressive driving and the number of roadways that have a history of accidents caused by aggressive driving, Mr. Keller said.

Of the 1,491 traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania last year, 971 were attributable to aggressive driving, Mr. Keller said.

This year, PennDOT will invest nearly $4 million in enforcement to curb aggressive driving.

Four police officers in the region were honored this year for their exemplary work with the Smooth Operator program: Jackson Officer Ken Bowland; Cpl. Daniel Hahn, who works in Cranberry; Patrolman Thomas Palla, an officer in Butler Township; and Sgt. William Evans Jr., who works in East Franklin, Armstrong County.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration defines aggressive driving as when an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.

The safety administration says road rage is a dangerous consequence of aggressive driving and anyone can become an aggressive driver.

To avoid aggressive drivers, motorists should get out of their way and steer clear of them on the road. The program's Web site also recommends that drivers stay relaxed and avoid eye contact with aggressive drivers.

Nationwide, more than 385,000 citations were given out through the 2007 Smooth Operator campaign.