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More States Weigh in on Speed Issue
| January
22, 2004
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- Arizona - Traffic safety issues are
a major concern throughout the State of Arizona. To combat
aggressive driving behavior such as speeding, the Governor's
Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) has issued grants or equipment
to several law enforcement agencies throughout the State.
Speed enforcement is conducted via radar or laser speed
measuring devices, motorcycle squads, window tint meters
and unmarked vehicles. The goal is to reduce road fatalities
and accidents by slowing motorists down to the indicated
speeds on the State's roadways and highways. GOHS will
again partner with the Department of Public Safety and
other law enforcement agencies in Operation Safe Commute
to enforce the speed limits in Arizona's busiest highways.
- Colorado - Colorado's DOT through
its Safety and Traffic Engineering branch funds a Police
Traffic Safety program. This program aids state and local
law enforcement agencies, sheriff's offices and municipal
police departments, in establishing and developing traffic
enforcement units or selective traffic enforcement programs.
These law enforcement agencies identify both high crash
locations and associated improper driver actions within
their jurisdictions. Once the locations and causes of crashes
are identified, the funded units concentrate manpower,
equipment and technology on increased enforcement. The
goal of these activities is to reduce improper driver actions,
including aggressive driving and excessive vehicle speed.
- Hawaii - The Department of Transportation
(DOT) issued grants to the four county police departments
for additional speed enforcement. The DOT also hired a
private marketing firm to conduct a social marketing research
project that will provide information on how to best reach
drivers who speed.
- Maryland - The Maryland Highway Safety
Office and law enforcement agencies across the state participate
in the tri-jurisdictional Smooth Operator program, an anti-aggressive
driving enforcement and public education and awareness
campaign. Maryland law includes exceeding the posted speed
limit as a primary element in its definition of aggressive
driving. Speed enforcement on highways across Maryland
is a key component of addressing aggressive driving. A
statewide campaign focuses on four one-week enforcement
waves during the summer months. During the 2003 campaign,
over 105,000 citations and warnings were issued to motorists
for aggressive driving violations (including speeding offenses)
by Maryland law enforcement officers.
- South Dakota - Every year in South
Dakota nearly 44 percent of the fatal and injury combined
crashes involve two of the top five primary contributing
factors: impaired driving and excessive speed. The South
Dakota Office of Highway Safety is partnering with law
enforcement statewide to combat speeding drivers. Funds
are being provided for overtime high visibility enforcement
of traffic laws combined with additional funds provided
to law enforcement agencies to purchase radar equipment
to insure law enforcement has the ability to detect and
apprehend violators.
- Texas - Speed control continues to
be a major part of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
(STEP) in Texas. The state funds 9 speed STEPs, plus the
Department of Public Safety. Additionally, 32 local law
enforcement agencies utilize STEPs as integral law enforcement
programs. These STEPs generated almost 180,000 citations
in 2003, and demonstrated an average of a 27 percent increase
in speed compliance in their communities.
- Utah - Speed-related crashes continue
to be a problem in Utah despite a general downward trend
over the past ten years. In the most recent reporting year
the state noted a slight increase in total speed related
crashes, but fatal speed related crashes decreased by 23
percent. The state wants to see speed-related crashes continue
to decrease and utilizes a varied approach to address the
problem, including: saturation blitzes, enhanced motorcycle
unit enforcement, Aero Bureau support, emphasis during
regular enforcement shifts and utilizing overtime shifts
as funding permits.
- Vermont - In Vermont, speed, lack
of safety belts, and alcohol are recognized as the top
three highway killers. Every law enforcement grant provided
through the state highway safety office focuses on speed.
Radar and laser speed detection equipment is awarded to
departments participating in high-visibility enforcement
and education campaigns (Click It or Ticket and You Drink,
You Drive, You Lose). This equipment encourages local speed
enforcement activities and provides agencies the tools
to do it.
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