By Matthew Cella The Washington Times - June 8, 2011, 04:01PM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave its Public Service Award to Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier for leading the nation in the largest decrease of traffic fatality rates, police said Wednesday.

“Through the enforcement policies and procedures, MPD was able to decrease the traffic fatality rate 31.7 percent and the rate of 21-24 year old traffic fatalities by almost 50 percent in Washington, D.C.,” police said in an afternoon news release.

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“These two statistics are the largest decline in traffic fatalities in the nation. MPD was also credited with the second largest decrease in impaired driving fatalities with a decrease of almost 40 percent, and a decrease in motorcycle fatality rates by nearly 44 percent,” the release said.