Anti-speeding campaign underway
Law enforcement agencies throughout the state are ramping up enforcement of speed limits in an effort to address what is described as an alarming rise in speeding and fatal crashes.
The focus on speeding campaign was launched Dec. 1 and will continue through Feb. 28, 2022. It’s supported by federal traffic safety funds.
“Speed limit signs are not just a suggestion, and we must stop drivers who put themselves and others in danger with their risky behavior,” Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren stated in a news release. Southfield is among more than 100 law enforcement groups — including municipal and county agencies, as well as the Michigan State Police — participating in the campaign.
“Motorists need to understand that the faster you drive, the greater your chances of being in a crash. We urge people to slow down, drive for the conditions and be safe on our roadways,” Barren stated.
Speeding and traffic-related fatalities have been on the rise for the past year despite a decrease in the number of road miles traveled, according to the news release.
Overall, traffic crashes in Michigan dipped 22% from 2019’s 314,377 to 2020’s 245,432, while the number of fatalities rose. Crash data from the MSP Criminal Justice Information Center shows 1,083 people died from crashes on Michigan roads in 2020, a 10% increase over 2019, when 985 were reported.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a crash on a road with a speed limit of 65 mph or greater is more than twice as likely to result in a fatality than a crash on a road with a speed limit of 45 or 50 mph. Nationally in 2019, 9,478 traffic fatalities involved crashes in which one or more drivers were speeding, the news releases stated.
From the University of Michigan Transportation Institute, in 2020 in Michigan:
• 6.4% of male drivers involved in all traffic crashes were speeding
• 15.2% of motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes were speeding
• 11.2% of drivers ages 1520 involved in crashes were speeding. Younger drivers were involved in 41,685 traffic crashes last year.
• Of all drivers involved in alcohol-related traffic crashes, 15.1% were speeding.
The news release further states that insurance industries studies show approximately 112,000 speeding tickets are issued daily, totaling approximately 41 million. The average fine is $115 to $135.
Recent insurance industry studies show that approximately 112,000 speeding tickets are issued each day, or about 41 million per year. The average fine runs $115-$135 for a speeding violation.