Iowa sheriff says speeders are rampant on roadways

HAMILTON COUNTY, IOWA – Dangerous drivers are running loose all over Iowa, blasting down roadways with reckless abandon, and this Northern Iowa law enforcement officer says the accident scenes they cause are horrific and heartbreaking.

Hamilton County Deputy Alex Sharp stopped recently a driver for excessive speed at 91 miles per hour on Highway 17 near the Hamilton/Wright County line. The deputy shared a photo (at top) of the traffic stop scene.

In Iowa, the fine for exceeding the speed limit by 36 mph (going 91 in a 55 mph zone) would be $135 plus $5 for each mph over 20 mph, according to Iowa law. This results in a base fine of $135 plus 16 (the number of mph over 20) times $5, totaling $215, according to legal information websites.

Hamilton County Sheriff Alex H. Pruismann shared details of the above traffic stop, and says if these lawbreakers knew what could happed to them, they just might stop being criminals.

“Honestly; I don’t care about the fines, the excuses, the “open road” or anything like that,” Sheriff Pruismann said. “My whole team and all other first responders have seen what an accident scene can look like at these speeds, the heartbreak it can cause, the devastation that happens and I hope and pray we never see one again. These speeds are occurring way too often lately.”

The speed limit on most highways in Iowa, including Highway 17, is 55 mph. However, there are exceptions, such as rural interstate highways which have a 70 mph speed limit, and certain multi-lane highways that may have a 65 mph speed limit.

Speeders do not just make rural highways and Interstates dangerous in Iowa. Many local citizens living in towns and cities regularly deal with speeders racing through their neighborhoods, and sometimes beg police to just enforce the laws, or even lobby local officials for just a speed limit sign – only to be ignored.

Currently in Iowa, there have been 148 traffic fatalities so far in 2025.  This is down 17 from the same date last year.  Of the 148 deaths, 107 have been in rural locations, and 41 in urban locations.