MASON CITY – Iowa law enforcement officers recently joined agencies from five other states across the Midwest in a high visibility speed enforcement effort.
From July 21-July 23, city, county and state law enforcement agencies participated in the area’s Regional Speed Enforcement Campaign, spearheaded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the State Highway Safety Offices. Officers from city, state and county law enforcement agencies in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas and Oklahoma joined forces to conduct a high visibility enforcement effort cracking down on motorists who were driving too fast for conditions or exceeding the speed limit.
From July 21-23, Iowa officers from 33 different law enforcement agencies conducted a statewide high visibility enforcement campaign. 1,408 speeding citations were issued over the enforcement period and 50 impaired drivers were removed from Iowa’s roadways. With the strong presence of law enforcement, organizers intended to reduce crashes and make Iowa roadways safer.
“This was an effort to deter aggressive driving, including excessive speed. Large scale mobilizations such as this one have had a positive impact on reducing speed and encouraging safe driving,” said Colonel Jeff Ritzman of the Iowa State Patrol.
NHTSA estimates that nationwide, 9,536, people were killed in speed-related crashes in 2015. This represents 27% of the 35,092 people killed in all traffic crashes. “We plan to continue these high visibility efforts to encourage drivers to obey all laws, in pursuit of our goal of saving lives,” said Susan DeCourcy, Regional Administrator NHTSA Region 7.
