Upper Midwest — There’s going to be a one-day focus on speeding enforcement in 11 states in our region this Wednesday.
The Iowa State Patrol says Iowa’s 2023 daily traffic fatality count is over 20% higher than the 5-year average: an alarming trend. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau — or GTSB — is teaming up with law enforcement to keep drivers and passengers safe by raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and urging drivers to obey speed limits.
This Wednesday, July 26, Iowa will join Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas for a Speed Awareness Campaign. Law enforcement in your community will be on heightened alert for speeding vehicles and motorcycles.
The GTSB says that much like impaired driving, speeding is a “selfish choice with deadly consequences for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.” They say speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve, and that even the safest cars with the newest technologies are limited in how much they can help reduce the odds of a crash.
Colleen Powell, the GTSB Program Administrator says that tragically, Iowa experienced a dramatic 25% increase in speeding-related fatalities from 2020-2021. In 2021, speeding-related crashes killed 84 people on our roads, accounting for almost one-quarter of all crash fatalities.
GTSB Bureau Chief Brett Tjepkes says “We are asking drivers to please slow down. Our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert — the posted speed limit is the law. No excuses. [This Wednesday,] drivers will notice extra law enforcement on Iowa’s roads. If drivers choose to exceed the posted limit, they can expect a citation.”
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau tells us they work with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce deaths and injuries on Iowa’s roadways using federally-funded grants.
