The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is joining with law enforcement agencies in a campaign to slow speeding drivers down the next few weeks. The targeted effort runs through the Independence Day holiday until July tenth.
State Transportation Cabinet Highway Engineer Jason Siwula said speeding tends to increase the severity of crashes. “It takes longer to slow down. It takes longer to stop. People may not be able to see or notice things at the same rate, going at a quicker rate of speed. When you look at those types of crashes, ones that involve speeding and aggressive driving do tend to be more severe,” said Siwula.
According to the Office of Highway Safety, crash reports and citation data indicates 31% of Kentucky crashes between 2014 and 2018 involved a speeding or aggressive driver. Siwula noted aggressive driving goes beyond speeding to include tailgating and weaving in and out between vehicles. “What we do ask for people to mark along with their speeds is to make sure they are interacting with other traffic in a way that’s predictable and expected. When people do things that are unexpected, that’s when crashes can happen,” nexplained Siwula.
Citation data also reveals that males are the drivers in 66% of speed-related crashes. Among the tips provided by the Office of Highway Safety, don’t challenge speeding drivers by speeding up or attempting to hold your lane and give such drivers plenty of space.
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