State Police Sergeant Douglas Weddleton of Brockton was killed last month in one of five accidents involving troopers. FRAMINGHAM - With the wreckage of a State Police cruiser as her backdrop, Colonel Marian J. McGovern vowed yesterday to confront an alarming increase in accidents involving state troopers, announcing a crackdown on drunk and distracted drivers. 'Any injury or loss of life on a roadway caused by impairment, aggression, speeding, negligence, or distraction is unacceptable, and any driver who engages in these unsafe behaviors is put on notice: We are targeting you,' said McGovern, surrounded by state officials and safe driving organizations. The colonel's tough stance, announced at Massachusetts State Police headquarters, comes after five accidents involving troopers in as many weeks, including one that resulted in the death of Sergeant Douglas Weddleton of Brockton. Last weekend, Trooper Corey Rose was severely injured when his cruiser was rammed by an alleged drunk driver while Rose was conducting a traffic stop. 'You see the result of that crash behind me,' McGovern said, pointing at the wreckage. 'It is my responsibility as commander of this department to do everything I can to minimize the risks our troopers face on our highways.' Four of the accidents were fueled by alcohol. The driver in the fifth crash has not been identified or apprehended. McGovern also announced a driving safety awareness campaign and said she would reexamine department protocol in conducting traffic stops. But the campaign against drunk drivers garnered the most attention. The effort began with Operation Lighting, the addition of four extra patrols on Fridays and Saturdays in each of the state's five geographical areas. In the two weeks since it started, the effort has led to the arrest of 24 alleged drunk drivers, charges against 14 other people, and 263 citations, according to officials. Criminal summonses were sent to 15 other drivers, McGovern said. The operation will last through the summer, and McGovern promised to find ways to fund the patrols for the long term. Also, the department will continue setting up sobriety checkpoints across the state. Last weekend, checkpoints in Quincy and Auburn resulted in the arrests of 12 alleged drunk drivers, and 16 people were charged the week before with drunken driving in Springfield and Haverhill. The plan was quickly welcomed by Rick Brown, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the troopers union, who has publicly called for more patrols on state highways. He said patrols are also needed at construction sites where officers are working details, to better enforce the 'Move Over' law requiring drivers to slow down and, when possible, change lanes when passing emergency vehicles. 'Whatever we can do to stop our guys from being put in danger when they're doing what they're supposed to be doing, protecting public safety, we're going to support that,' Brown said. 'The best thing to do is for people to pay attention to what is going on out there when they see the flashing lights, especially the blue lights.' Accidents involving police officers have become a concern not only statewide, but nationally. So far this year, 45 officers have died in car accidents across the country, compared with 33 at this time last year. Of the 45 deaths, 11 of the officers were standing outside their cars, compared with five similar fatalities last year. The 45 victims make up more than half of the 87 deaths of officers in the line of duty across the country this year. In Massachusetts, 10 police cruisers have been struck by drunk drivers this year, compared with 20 last year, according to State Police figures. 'It's dangerous work, and if the past five weeks haven't highlighted that, I don't know what can,' said David DeIuliis of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who attended yesterday's announcement. 'It's frightening to know we're sharing the road with that many impaired drivers.' Four of the recent accidents involved troopers who were either working a construction detail or making a traffic stop. With that in mind, McGovern also called for more public awareness of the 'Move Over' law. The law was bolstered in March 2009, in part by including tougher fines. More than 4,000 motorists have received violations since the law was strengthened. McGovern said the department will simultaneously examine its procedures for parking at construction sites and conducting traffic stops and take a look at what other state police agencies are doing. She stressed that troopers involved in the recent accidents had followed protocol, and Ross had actually taken extra precaution to pull over to the far side of the roadway. 'What's different about police work is nothing is standard,' she said. 'Every single stop could be the last stop.' One measure, the colonel said, is to look at police lights and markers, to identify whether a color or pattern affects a driver's line of sight. Other states have different lighting systems on their cruisers or set up more lighting at construction sites, and the department will examine whether they could be effective on Massachusetts roadways, McGovern said. There is no national standard, but national agencies offer recommendations and have conducted studies, she said. Also, the department will review positioning of cruisers during traffic stops, personal equipment, and the procedure for approaching a stopped car, she said. 'We would be remiss if we did not explore the best practices currently in use by other departments around the country,' she said. Yesterday's announcement was also attended by Lt. Governor Timothy P. Murray and Rachel Kaprielian, the registrar of Motor Vehicles, as well as representatives from the state Highway Division, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and AAA of Southern New England. McGovern said that troopers will also target distracted drivers, armed with a new state law banning text messaging and searching the Internet with an electronic device. The law goes into effect in October. Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com. MORE ONLINE To view a video of the press conference, visit www.boston.com/globe. OVERNIGHTVideo by Alex Katz of Press Conference One fatality 