"A dozen reasons not to speed."
That's the message from the California Highway Patrol and police departments across the country.
They began a new campaign aimed at putting the brakes on speeders.
The campaign includes law enforcement in California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and runs from Friday, June 25, through Sunday, June 27.
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The new enforcement comes after a significant increase in speed related deaths in 2020.
The NBC4 I-Team found in 2020, 541 people were killed in traffic crashes caused by unsafe speeds.
California mirrors what’s happening nationwide with speeding related fatalities up 11 percent, and fatalities of people ejected from cars up 20%, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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The I-Team also analyzed data from Caltrans and the CHP and found in Southern California, 28,489 citations for 100 plus mph were issued last year compared to 14,804 in 2018 and 14,666 in 2019.
Currently, California freeways are seeing 6% less vehicle traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels.
In addition to speed, officers will be looking for seat belt and child safety seat violations, evidence of distracted driving, and driving under the influence. The CHP and the officers and troopers of its allied law enforcement agencies remind you to drive safely and report any emergencies or dangerous drivers by calling 9-1-1.
