The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launches a multi-state speeding enforcement campaign.
This is in response to a 25% increase in the number of crashes attributed to speeding along I-95 from Maine to Florida.
State agencies and regional partners will be using state specific and national data to take targeted enforcement and educational approaches to reducing the number of high-speed crashes.
Dr. Robert Rosenbaum, EMS Medical Director for the State of Delaware Office of EMS, says this is a much-needed response.
“Excessive speed is affecting patients who are injured in motor vehicle crashes. It leads to more crashes, and it leads to greater forces being applied to patients who are injured in those crashes. That high force, that high impact, can lead to fatal injuries or permanently disabling injuries,” explained Rosenbaum. “So, if we can slow drivers down, we lessen the impact of those crashes, and we lessen the chances of permanent or debilitating injuries.”
The severity of the injuries sustained in the crashes has prompted the need for more resources for EMS personnel, including carrying whole blood and using emerging research to take a more aggressive approach to treatment protocols.
In Delaware, young drivers have been shown to be involved in a rising number of high-speed incidents, prompting an increase in educational messaging targeted toward that demographic.
That messaging can take different forms, and be found in schools, community meetings, and other public spaces.
Delaware State Police Colonel Melissa Zebley says the number of police on the road will increase, as well.
“You’ll see a heightened presence. And again, that’s data driven. You know, what are the times of day and roadways where we're seeing increased volumes that impact collisions, and cause the greatest amount of injury,” said Zebley.
There will also be more officers on the road during the summer months, where more families are traveling, and young people are out of school and on the road.
