New Jersey and Pennsylvania state police will be patrolling Interstate 80 in extra numbers as part of a national initiative meant to crack down on law-breaking drivers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

As part of the "I-80 Highway Challenge," which begins Wednesday, police across the country will ramp up enforcement efforts of traffic safety laws, including speeding, driving while intoxicated and not wearing a seat belt.

The goal, police said, is to have zero deaths during the eight-day challenge.

"During this critically important traffic safety initiative, troopers will be on patrol to ensure that drivers are obeying New Jersey traffic laws and arriving at their summer-time destination safely," Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a statement.

Created by the Iowa Department of Public Safety after crash data showed the summer vacation travel period was among the most deadly times of the year for highway drivers, the I-80 challenge will begin Wednesday and last through July 31. It will include increased enforcement in all 11 states the highway passes, from California to New Jersey.

In New Jersey, 13 crashes resulted in 14 deaths on I-80 in 2012, according to state police statistics. So far in 2013, four deaths have been reported following four crashes.

On Friday, a tractor-trailer ran off the interstate in Allamuchy Township, leaking diesel fuel and closing the road for nine hours. The driver was treated at the hospital for cuts to the face.



While using data to set periods of increased traffic enforcement or creating multistate efforts are not new concepts, combining the two is unique to the I-80 challenge, police said.

By creating a more visible presence, officials said they hope to reduce fatalities by encouraging motorists to drive more safely.

"This joint effort by police departments across the country sends a clear message that the law enforcement community is determined to reduce fatalities on Interstate 80," Fuentes said.