MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- They are out there.

Drivers don't know when and where they will see them, but when they do, let's hope they don't have their blue and red lights flashing as they pull you over for doing 70 in a 65 mph zone.

The California Highway Patrol began an aggressive enforcement program recently that will hopefully reduce the amount of speeding motorists on California roads, according to Officer Mark Greg, San Diego CHP spokesman.

The program began March 4 and is expected to continue periodically statewide throughout the foreseeable future, according to Greg.

CHP Commissioner Spike Helmick initiated the program after he saw a statewide increase in the number of traffic accidents attributed to speeding.

In 2001, CHP officers issued 48,146 speeding tickets in San Diego. Last year the number jumped to 60,001, according to Greg.

"The problem with speeding is that you have a higher rate of crashes," he said. "It is an issue we take seriously and want to keep pushing it in order to reduce accidents."

There are over 272,000 vehicles that drive around the air station daily, said Greg.

The numbers vary in other areas around the county, but the concern to officers is the number of accidents as a result of speeding in addition to motorists not obeying the laws of the road.

"We would like people to take this issue seriously," he said. "If people take speed limits to heart and drive with not only their safety but the safety of other drivers (in mind), then I think this program will go a long way in reducing the number of accidents related to speeding."

The patrols will involve a mixture of both on-duty officers and special enforcement teams specifically assigned to issue citations for speeding and other related driving violations, said Greg.

The San Diego CHP department, who patrols highways from the border to as far north as Del Mar and Solano Beach, will be in different areas throughout the county including some of the major highways frequently used by motorists such as Interstates 5, 8, 15 and 805.

"We are doing these operations unannounced," Greg mentioned. "Sections where people know there is a higher rate of speed, that is where we are going to be at. We will be all over, but we will looking at all areas including the I-15."