Indiana Law Enforcement Increasing Speed Patrols

Attention all leadfoots in the tri-state! The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute has awarded grants to law enforcement agencies in the Evansville area in an effort to bring down the number of speed related accidents not only in the Evansville area, but across the entire state of Indiana.

The complete press release reads as follows:

Indiana Law Enforcement Agencies Increase Speed Patrols

Federal grant award helps make additional efforts possible

Indianapolis, IN. – In an effort to reduce the number of speed-related deaths and injuries on Hoosier roadways, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) has awarded Dangerous Driving Enforcement (DDE) grants to law enforcement agencies across the state. One of the components of this grant is to aggressively target speeding motorists.

Motorists can expect to see a greater police presence on roadways this month, as DDE enforcement activity will cover much of the state. A total of 98 local agencies and the Indiana State Police will be on patrol placing additional emphasis on speed enforcement. While speed enforcement is a year-round priority, many law enforcement agencies will be stepping up their efforts over the coming weeks.

In 2010, 18 percent of fatalities and 12 percent of injuries sustained in Indiana traffic collisions involved speed. In fact, nearly 10 percent of all collisions that occurred in Indiana involved a driver who was speeding.

“Speed limits exist to protect motorists,” said ICJI Traffic Safety Division Director, Ryan Klitzsch. “Anytime a driver disregards the posted speed limit, their chances for being involved in a collision increase exponentially,” he continued.

According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), crash data since 1995 shows a continuous increase in the number of deaths and injuries attributed to speed. Despite gains in vehicle safety and passenger protection, thousands of Americans still die each year in speed-related crashes.

For more information about the dangers of speed, visit the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Website.