Wyoming County
Sheriff’s Office Launches New Enforcement Blitz Against Speeding “Obey the Sign
or Pay the Fine”
Beginning August 1st and continuing until August 7th, 2018,
the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office will participate in targeted speed
enforcement across Wyoming County under the tagline: “Obey the Sign or Pay the
Fine.” The intensified enforcement
effort against speeding drivers underscores the severity of the problem, both
locally and across the nation.
“Speeding translates to death on our roadways. It greatly
reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous
object, or an unexpected curve. Speeding drivers put themselves, their
passengers and other drivers at tremendous risk,” said Captain Erik Tamol.
In 2015, speeding was a contributing factor in 27 percent of
all fatal crashes in the U.S. and more than 9,500 lives were lost in such
crashes, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“During the “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine” blitz, officers
will intensify enforcement of posted speed limits in Wyoming County. We’ll stop and ticket anyone caught
speeding—especially on State Route 20A, where most of our speed-related crashes
occur,” said Captain Tamol.
Fully 17 percent of all speeding-related traffic fatalities
occurred on local roads -- where the posted speed limits were 55 miles per hour
or under. According to NHTSA, a crash on a road with a speed limit of 65 mph or
greater is more than twice as likely to result in a fatality than a crash on a
road with a speed limit of 45 or 50 mph and nearly five times as likely as a
crash on a road with a speed limit of 40 mph or below. About 15 percent of the
country’s speeding-related fatalities occur on interstate highways each year.
A NHTSA research
report, “Analysis of Speeding-Related Fatal Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes,”
shows that a major proportion of fatal, speed-related single-vehicle crashes
occurs on rural roadways. Across America in 2015, speeding was a factor in 17
percent of all fatal crashes on dry roads, and in 21 percent of those occurring
on wet roads. NHTSA considers a crash
speeding-related if the driver was charged with exceeding the posted speed
limit or if the driver was driving too fast for conditions at the time. .
