This summer the Boone County Traffic Safety Partnership is teaming up with other Indiana law enforcement agencies to keep drivers and passengers safe by raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and urging drivers to obey speed limits.
From July 10 to July 31, law enforcement officers in your community will be on high alert for speeding vehicles while participating in the Speeding Slows You Down campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).
Not only is speeding illegal, it’s also deadly. In 2021, speeding killed 252 people in Indiana, accounting for more than one-quarter of all crash fatalities. Tragically, there was a dramatic increase (15%) in speeding-related crash fatalities from 2021-2022.
Preliminary data shows that in 2022, speeding killed 290 people in Indiana, with nearly 300 fatalities projected in 2023. The Boone County Traffic Safety Partnership wants to remind drivers that, no matter how seasoned you are as a driver, ultimately, speeding slows you down.
Much like impaired driving, speeding can have deadly consequences for the driver, passengers, and pedestrians. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve. Even the safest cars with the newest technologies are limited in how much they can help reduce the odds of a crash.
“Speed limit signs are not suggestions, they are the law,” said Tony Harris, Boone County Sheriff. “They are posted for the safety of the driver and others. Unfortunately, we see people speeding every day. If you’re killed in a crash, or if you kill someone else, that’s it – there’s no second chance. Speeding just isn’t worth the risk,” said Harris.
According to data from ICJI, more people crash while speeding on local roads than on highways. In 2022, 77% of all speeding-related traffic crashes on Indiana roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.
Beyond the primary routes through and around Boone County (i.e., I-65, I-865, I-465, I-74, US 421, US 52, SR 32, SR 39, SR 47, and SR 267) saturation patrols will focus also be focused in South St., Lebanon St., Oak Street, Whitestown Parkway, and Indianapolis Road.“ Local roads are where most of our speeding-related crashes occur,” said Deputy Marc Mitalski. For more information, click here.
About the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) is the state planning agency for criminal justice, juvenile justice, traffic safety, and victim services. ICJI is designated as the state administering agency for distribution of federal funds and as the state Statistical Analysis Center for research. ICJI is responsible for coordinating and collaborating with local, state, and federal entities to identify, assess, plan, resource, and evaluate new and emerging issues facing the criminal justice and public safety spectrum. Click here to learn more about the agency.
About the Boone County Traffic Safety Partnership
The BCTSP is comprised of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Jamestown Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Thorntown Police Department, Whitestown Police Department, and Zionsville Police Department. The BCTSP’s participation in CITLI, DUITF, and VSET will address the problem of decreasing the number of motorists killed and injured on Indiana roadways related to seat belt usage, impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving, and speed.
