Delaware Speed Campaign Yields 6,322 Arrests

    The Delaware Office of Highway Safety puts the breaks on thousands of dangerous drivers statewide

    Since early July, Delaware officers have been taking to the roads with one message, ‘Stop Speeding Before it Stops You.’ Thousands of drivers heard that message loud and clear after being issued with citations during the second annual speed campaign.
    A total of 6,322 arrests were made during this year’s statewide effort, a drastic jump from the 2,500 arrests made in 2008.

    The main goal of the campaign was to stop speeding drivers and reduce speed related crashes in the state. Throughout the four month period, the incidence of speed listed as a contributing factor in the state’s fatal crashes dropped by 12 percent. Speed is currently listed as a contributing factor in 18% of the state’s 83 fatal crashes which have occured since the beginning of 2009.

    Andrea Summers, Spokesperson for Delaware’s Office of Highway Safety, says she hopes the campaign will keep speed safety at the forefront of people’s minds. “In the absense of high visibility enforcement and accompanying promotion, people will drive without boundaries, so it’s really important that we have campaigns like this to slow people down,” Summers says, “Our ultimate goal is to save lives.”

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    Speed safety wasn’t the only issue being addressed throughout this campaign. Officers also made arrests in a series of other violations including aggressive driving, driving under the influence, seat belt violations and drugs.

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    Even though this year’s ‘Stop Speeding Before it Stops You’ campaign has come to an end, the Office of Highway Safety is warning drivers that a significant police presence can still be found on Delaware roadways throughout the holiday season. The OHS will launch the ‘Safe Family Holiday Campaign’ in late November in addition to conducting stepped up DUI, seatbelt and speed enforcement efforts.

    For more information on OHS’s upcoming safety initiatives, visit www.ohs.delaware.gov

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