A task force organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working with law enforcement in New England to stop dangerous driving. The initiative was announced at a news conference on Thursday.
“It’s not only about giving out tickets,” said Arthur Kinsman, the regional administrator for NHSTA. “But the visibility of police out there deters unsafe behaviors such as speeding.”
New Hampshire State Police Lt. Christopher Storm said there will be an increase in patrols statewide. They will also be using aircraft and watching for unsafe driving.
State police in New Hampshire alone have stopped over 700 vehicles going 90 miles per hour or faster this year.
The campaign comes as new data shows that speeding fatalities reached a 14-year high in 2021 and make up almost one-third of all traffic related fatalities nationwide.
Speeding accounted for 18% of traffic fatalities in 2021 and 2022. Many drivers in speeding-related crashes also tend to engage in other risky driving behaviors, according to the NHTSA.
Drivers who were speeding and involved in fatal crashes were also impaired by alcohol more frequently than drivers who were not speeding. Over half of speeding drivers were not wearing a seatbelt, compared to 23% of non-speeding drivers.
Speeding-related crashes significantly increase with the number of speeders, according to a NHSTA study. This suggests that more vehicles on the road do not lead to more crash3es if they drive at or below the speed limit.
The study also found that decoy law enforcement vehicles, issuing citations, and digital speed signs reduce speeding at deployment locations.
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Source: Boston.com, WCSH-TV
