Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Promotes Anti-Speeding Campaign

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) started its summer anti-speeding campaign, “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine.”

The campaign is funded by the federal government and will be a joint effort between the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety and local law enforcement to promote road safety across the Bluegrass State. During the campaign’s run from June 30^th to July 13^th, KOHS and Kentucky police will work to develop more effective speed limit enforcement strategies. The campaign will also include an educational component that aims to inform residents in the state of the dangers involved with driving at high speed, and the importance of obeying speed limits.

The Hazards of Speeding

KOHS stated that speeding or general reckless driving behavior is a factor in over 32% of all car accidents in Kentucky. When speeding, drivers have significantly less control over their vehicle than they do when driving at the speed limit. Speeding limits drivers’ reaction time and their ability to respond to the movements of other drivers, dangerous road conditions, pedestrians, or objects in the road. Driving at a high speed also makes slowing down or stopping much more difficult, and can potentially contribute to rear-end collisions or accidents that result from driving through a stop sign or red light.

Local police officers and KOHS hope the campaign will highlight these dangers as well as frame the importance of enforcement from a safety standpoint, rather than as a legal issue. The Acting Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety emphasized the gravity of anti-speeding enforcement with the statement, “Officers and troopers… would rather write a ticket than make a death notification.”

People involved in vehicle collisions in which speeding was a factor often sustain serious injuries, or are killed. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, contact Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC for a no-cost consultation.