Gwen Rummell Reporting –
Ohio law enforcement officers are joining officers from 10 states in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Regions 5 and 7 for this year’s Speed Awareness Day enforcement campaign.
The single day campaign was created to address the continuous trend of speeding and dangerous driving that leads to death and serious injuries.
Public Affairs Unit Sergeant Tyler Ross with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, says any degree of speeding is not worth the possible outcomes.
“Speeding, whether it’s two miles an hour above the speed limit or twenty, it doesn’t make it okay. It’s unacceptable to all levels and it is one of our leading crash causing violations.”
During the campaign, on July 26th, officers will use high visibility enforcement to ensure driver compliance with speed limits. The campaign falls in the middle of summer on account of 40% of all speed-related fatalities occurring between June and September.
Sergeant Ross says last year’s campaign saw a total of 918 citations with 64% being speed-related violations. Ohio officers also made 133 arrests during speed enforcement detail.
“You have to take into consideration, it’s not just a fine or a fee or points on your license, but you can take somebody’s life or seriously injure somebody. So you can’t speed, you have to pay attention to the roadway in front of you. Roadway safety is a shared responsibility, you have to be courteous, polite, and patient.”
To report suspected impaired drivers or road violations, call #677. For emergent situations, call 911.
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