State Troop T are on the lookout for drivers who speed, tailgate and make dangerous lane changes on a 35-mile stretch between Interchanges 14A (Garden State Parkway) and 17 (Newburgh/I-84) on the New York State Thruway.

It’s part of a new three-month targeted educational and enforcement campaign, known as Operation: DriveAliveNY, which begins today.

The campaign follows a series of unrelated deadly accidents that occurred in the past several years near the Rockland and Orange County border along the Thruway.

As part of the operation, the Thruway Authority and Troop T will gather and analyze data on driver behavior, enforcement activity, accident rates, types of accidents, and types of vehicles involved. This data will help measure the number of accidents caused by excessive speed, following too closely and unsafe lane usage.

“AAA New York strongly supports this targeted enforcement campaign where speeding and aggressive driving are particularly problematic. Education will also provide the public with techniques for protecting themselves when confronted with such behavior,” said Chris McBride, transportation specialist for American Automobile Association New York, said in a statement.

Approximately 50 percent of all accidents along the 641-mile Thruway are attributed to speeding, following too closely, and unsafe lane usage. In 2006, those driving behaviors accounted for 4,717 vehicles accidents, of which, 13 were fatal accidents

The Thruway Authority notes that the Thruway is one of the nation’s safest highways. In 2006, there were 37 fatal accidents resulting in 47 deaths on the Thruway, reflecting a fatality rate of 0.45 per 100 million vehicle miles (MVM) traveled, as compared to the national fatality rate of 1.42 per 100 MVM traveled, it says.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee are paying for the highway safety campaign. Drivers can expect to receive educational materials at Thruway toll plazas, travel plazas and in E-ZPass statements to customers in the targeted area. Safe driver messages will also be broadcast on the agency’s Highway Advisory Radio andbe seen on its electronic message signs.