This summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the Ocean City Police Department to keep drivers and passengers safe by raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and urging drivers to obey speed limits. From July 10 to July 31, law enforcement officers in our community will be on higher alert for speeding vehicles while participating in the Speeding Slows You Down campaign. If you’re pulled over for speeding, you will be issued a ticket for breaking the law.
Not only is speeding illegal, it’s deadly. In 2020, speeding killed 11,258 people, accounting for more than one-quarter of all crash fatalities. Tragically, there was a dramatic increase (17%) in speeding-related crash fatalities from 2019-2020, with a projected 5% increase from 2020-2021. NHTSA and the Ocean City Police Department want to remind drivers that, no matter how seasoned you are as a driver, ultimately, Speeding Slows You Down.
Much like impaired driving, speeding is a selfish choice that can have deadly consequences for the driver, vehicle passenger, and pedestrians. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve. Even the safest cars with the newest technologies are limited in how much they can help reduce the odds of a crash.
“Speed limit signs are not suggestions, they are the law,” Police Chief Jay Prettyman said. “They are posted for the safety of the driver and others in that particular area. Unfortunately, we see people speeding every day. If you’re killed in a crash, or if you kill someone else, that’s it – there’s no second chance. Speeding just isn’t worth the risk.”
According to NHTSA, local roads are more dangerous than highways for speeders: In 2020, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on American roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.
Summertime drivers in Ocean City should be especially aware of this campaign and their speed — with so many pedestrians, bicycles, e-bikes, low-speed vehicles and others sharing our roads.
Young people are especially susceptible to high speeds, and they represent the largest demographic involved in speeding-related vehicle crashes. In 2020, 27% of males ages 18-44 and 17% of female drivers ages 18-34 involved in fatal crashes in 2020 were speeding.
Alcohol and weather also increase the likelihood of a crash while speeding. In 2020, 37% of the drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding and had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, compared to 17% of non-speeding drivers. And the chances of a vehicle crash on wet roads increases drastically when a vehicle is speeding.
“We are asking our community to please slow down,” Chief Prettyman said. “Our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert — the posted speed limit is the law. No excuses.”
For more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding.
