The Arkansas State Police says law enforcement throughout the state will be cracking down on speeding violations starting July 18.
The “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine” campaign is a two-week speeding violating awareness campaign that will be enforced statewide by all levels of law enforcement.
“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 Arkansas State Police 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 information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during 2020, there were 11,258 people killed in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all fatal crashes in the United States.
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if a driver was charged with exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions.
Arkansas State Police say that speeding not only affects a driver’s ability to control the vehicle, but also affects stopping distances.
“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.”
According to NHTSA, local roads are the most dangerous for speeders. The 2020 data reports that 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on U.S. roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov or contact the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at 501-618-8136.