WILMINGTON — The Wilmington Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies from 11 states in National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 5 and 7 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri) on July 26 for this year’s high visibility Speed Awareness Day enforcement campaign.
This campaign is an effort to address a continued trend of speeding and hazardous moving violations as contributory cause violations leading to personal injury and fatal crashes, according to a news release.
Speeding is involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide, the release states. Early NHTSA statistical projections for 2022 show 42,759 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes which represents a marginal decrease of 0.3% in traffic deaths when compared to 2021 (42,939 fatalities).
In 2021, there were 5,864 fatal injuries in the Region 5 six-state area with 1,780 (30.35%) being speed-related fatalities. Traffic crashes that result in death due to speeding are historically higher during the summer months of June through September.
Speeding is more than just breaking the law. The consequences are far-ranging:
· Greater potential for loss of vehicle control;
· Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment;
· Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger;
· Increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries;
· Economic implications of a speed-related crash; and
· Increased fuel consumption/cost.
“Many people view speeding view speeding as less dangerous than impaired driving or distracted driving. Data shows speeding continues to be a leading cause of injury and fatal crashes across the country.” said Wilmington Police Chief Ron Fithen.
According to the NHTSA, drivers who speed are also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt, drinking and driving, or using a cell phone while driving, according to the release.
The speed awareness campaign has a twofold approach: to combine increased, zero-tolerance enforcement with effective communication to road users on the importance of obeying the speed limit. High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) is a proven countermeasure for reinforcing driver compliance with posted speed limits.
The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and save lives. For more information, please visit http://trafficsafetymarketing.gov/.
