MONTPELIER POLICE DEPARTMENT

Montpelier, Idaho - 208-847-1324

BETTER SLOW DOWN

A message from the Federal Highway Administration

GetToZeroSpeeding is a significant threat to public safety. According to NHTSA, drivers who exceed the posted speed limit or drive too fast for conditions are involved in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. Each year, more than 13,000 people are killed in speeding-related crashes; and the economic cost of speeding-related crashes is about $52 billion. Below are additional facts about speeding (sources: FHWA and NHTSA: FARS data 2010-2102):

  • The majority of speeding-related crashes occur on roads that are not part of the Interstate system.
  • More speeding-related fatal crashes occur on local streets and minor arterials than other roadway types.
  • Drivers with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 or higher make up almost 44% of all fatal speeding-related crashes.
  • Motorcycle fatalities are more likely to be speeding-related than other vehicle types.
  • Over one-third of work zone fatal crashes are speeding-related.
  • The average risk of death for a pedestrian reaches 10% at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25% at 32 mph, 50% at 42 mph, 75% at 50 mph, and 90% at 58 mph.

Why should we slow down? Driving at a reasonable speed has many benefits: It decreases the potential for loss of vehicle control; reduces the severity of crashes; increases the effectiveness of occupant protection equipment (e.g., seat belts, child seats, and airbags); allows drivers more time to assess hazards and avoid potential crashes; and saves gas.

As the Just Be Safe pledge states: “As leaders in the transportation community, FHWA employees are role models for safe behavior when using our transportation system; we owe this to ourselves, our family and our community.” I urge you to follow the following tips to keep our transportation system safe:

Obey the law – Speed limits are there for a reason, so stick to them.

Understand that excessive speeding is BAD driving – Some drivers fail to accept that driving too fast is also poor driving despite the fact that this is a factor in thousands of deaths and injuries every year.

Be careful around curves – Stay in control and give yourself time to react to unexpected hazards by braking before the curve, not in it.

Watch out for road conditions – In certain road conditions, including fog, rain, ice, and heavy traffic flow, slow down and keep more space on all sides of your car. Don’t try to rush – Driving slightly slower will not add more than a few minutes to your journey, but may help to avoid a crash. For example, driving 30 mph rather than 35 mph will only take 2 more minutes for a 10 mile trip.
Be COURTEOUS – – Slow Down and Save Lives
What is the USDOT doing about Speed Management?

The USDOT works collaboratively with State and local governments to address speeding on our Nation’s roadways. An intermodal “speed team” has been chartered to advance the mission of the DOT by focusing on speed management and speeding-related crashes. The FHWA, FMCSA, and NHTSA worked together to develop the Speed

Management Program Plan

This Plan identifies the Federal effort and specific actions to be taken by the DOT to effectively address managing speed and reducing speeding-related crash risk. Resources.

Check out this video prepared by NHTSA

For additional information, please visit these sites: