7.13.22 – KATV – LITTLE ROCK
The Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office released a warning to drivers on Wednesday: “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine.”
State police said starting July 18, a two-week crackdown involving law enforcement officers across the state will be in effect to help catch unlawful speeding violations.
“It’s an acknowledged fact, as a motor vehicle speed increases, so do the risks of injuries and deaths on roadways,” said Colonel Bill Bryant, director of the ASP and the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “A driver exceeding the posted speed limit is less likely to avoid a hazardous object in the road, safely steer away from another vehicle or negotiate an unfamiliar curve or highway exit.”
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,258 people died in speeding-related crashes in 2020, accounting for 29% of all fatal crashes in the United States.
Speeding is a selfish choice, state police said. A choice that can have deadly consequences for the driver, passengers, others on the roadway, and innocent pedestrians.
Local roads are the most dangerous for those going above the set speed limit.
The NHTSA reported that 87% of all speeding-related traffic deaths on American roads occured on non-interstate roadways.
The administration determines a crash to speeding-related if a driver was charged with exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions.
“During the upcoming special speed enforcement operation, state troopers and other law enforcement officers won’t be accepting excuses, the posted speed limit is the law,” Bryant said. “Our goal will always be to save lives.”