Deadly collisions lead to calls for crackdown on speeding drivers

A flashing sign shows drivers speeding on Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs.

It’s a roadway where several people have died in recent years, often because of drivers going too fast.

Desert Hot Springs motorcycle officer Scott Hazen responded to many of the crash scenes.

“When you travel at a high rate of speed, it affects your perception and reaction time,” said Corporal Hazen.

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows nearly 10,000 people died in speed-related crashes in 2017.

That is similar to drunk driving deaths and much higher than the number of people killed in distracted driving accidents.

But, advocates say speeding isn’t taken as seriously.

“We all speed, we’re guilty of it. We’re in a rush to get where we’re going. We talk about drunk driving. We talk about distracted driving, but we don’t talk about speed in that same context when we really need to,” said Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director of the Governors Association of Highway Safety.

The group is now calling for aggressive campaigns to change people’s complacency about speeding, similar to “click it or ticket”, and “friends don’t let friends drive drunk” campaigns, aimed at reminding drivers of the importance of using seatbelts and not driving while under the influence.

They’re also calling for cities to use more traffic slowing measures like roundabouts, and improving signal timing at intersections.

Enforcement could include automated ticketing using speed cameras.

As part of its effort aimed at reducing the number of traffic deaths, the city of Desert Hot Springs has set up a
safety corridor” along several blocks of Palm Drive.

The effort includes Corporal Hazen patrolling Palm Drive daily, writing speeding tickets.

Since July, he says enforcement has been paying off.

“I’m trying to do the best that I can do to enforce the speed limit in the city, so people don’t get hurt or injured,” said Hazen.

In April, the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety will sponsor a forum where they will talk about new speed management programs for use in states.