Law enforcement in six states partner for single day ‘zero-tolerance’ speeding blitz

Drivers can expect to see extra speeding patrols in six midwestern states on Wednesday as part of a joint campaign to curb traffic fatalities.

On Wednesday, July 27, law enforcement agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin are taking part in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Speed Awareness Day.”

The high-visibility speed enforcement campaign “combines increased, zero-tolerance enforcement with effective communication on the importance of obeying the speed limit,” according to the Illinois State Police (ISP).

“We take speeding seriously because the consequences can be deadly,” said ISP Division of Patrol Deputy Director Colonel Margaret McGreal. “During Speed Awareness Day, ISP Troopers will saturate expressways, state routes, and rural roads to stop motorist who are not following posted speed limits in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities.”

According to ISP, of the 5,413 fatal crashes in the six-state region in 2020, 1,668 (30.8%) were speed-related fatalities. Traffic crashes that result in death due to speeding are highest between June and September.

“This campaign is an effort to address the drastic increase in speed and hazardous moving violations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speeding is involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide. NHTSA shows traffic deaths grew by 10.5% to 42,915 in 2021. This also represents the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the highest annual percentage increase in the recorded history of data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS),” ISP said in a July 25 news release.