“Stop Speeding Before It Stops You.”
The Southold Town Police works to Save Lives by Reminding Drivers to Obey Posted Speed Limits.
Speed continues to be a predominant factor in police reported traffic crashes in New York State. Nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities list speeding as a contributing factor. 267 people lost their lives in NYS in these preventable collisions in 2018. Proactive and targeted speed enforcement is a method to reverse this trend and reduce deaths and injuries due to crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 3 in 10 drivers speed. These drivers are also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors (no seat belt, drinking and driving, or using a cell phone while driving).
“Even one life lost to speeding is one too many,” said Chief Martin Flatley. “That’s why the Southold Town Police Department is joining NHTSA and other state and local law enforcement and highway safety leaders all across the nation to remind all drivers to Stop Speeding Before It Stops You.”
“Too many lives are lost each year in speeding-related crashes, and we are determined to change that,” said Chief Flatley. “We are reminding drivers to stay alert, to watch for and obey all posted speed limits, especially on your local neighborhood roads.”
“Driving above the posted speed limit or speeding in bad weather conditions dramatically increases the probability that a motorist will be involved in a crash,” said Chief Flatley. “Any time drivers speed, they are putting themselves, their passengers, and other drivers and pedestrians at risk.”
Speeding greatly reduces the driver’s ability to slow a vehicle when necessary or to steer safely around an unexpected curve, another vehicle or hazardous object in the roadway. In school zones or neighborhoods, that can include a child or an animal running across the road.
Among drivers involved in fatal crashes, young males are the most likely to have been found speeding. In fact, during 2015, 32 percent of male drivers ages 15-20 and 21-24 who were involved in a fatal crash were speeding at the time of the crash.
“Our goal is to save lives,” said Chief Flatley. “Drivers need to remember that there is a reason posted speed limits exist. The roadways can be a dangerous place and the speed limits are designed to protect everyone – drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists – everyone! The next time you get behind the wheel, please remember to Stop Speeding Before It Stops You.”