SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Area law enforcement officers from six states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) are working together on July 27 for this year’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) high-visibility Speed Awareness Day campaign.
The combined effort addresses the recent drastic increase in speed and hazardous moving violations. Speeding is involved in about one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide. NHTSA 2021 statistics show traffic deaths grew by 10.5% to 42,915, the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and a record annual percentage increase.
In 2020 there were 5,413 fatal injuries in the six-state region with 1,668 (31%) being speed-related fatalities. Traffic crashes that result in death due to speeding are higher in the summer months.
High Visibility Enforcement is a proven countermeasure for reinforcing driver compliance with posted speed limits.