‘Summer Heat’ aims to halt speeders in their tracks

If you’ve noticed more law officers patrolling Louisiana highways and pulling over speeders this month, then it’s possible you’ve witnessed the state’s third annual “Summer Heat” crackdown in action.

Since July 11, law enforcement agencies across Louisiana have been working overtime and stepping up speed patrols as part of the “Summer Heat” campaign – an enforcement and public awareness campaign dedicated to saving lives by stopping speeding drivers – that continues through Aug. 16.

The overtime patrols are paid for by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, which has awarded grants to Louisiana State Police and other law enforcement agencies. The LHSC is also paying for television advertisements and billboards informing motorists of the stepped-up enforcement campaign.

Why does the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission do this? Because speeding and aggressive driving behavior are major causes of automobile crashes, and we have a goal in mind of saving lives and preventing injuries.

According to the U.S. government’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, speed has been a factor in an estimated 19 percent of all fatal crashes in Louisiana.

Statistics suggest that most Louisiana drivers know that speeding is dangerous. A recent survey revealed that more than 90 percent of drivers in Louisiana believe speeders pose a danger to other motorists. Many of these survey participants also said they believed speeding to be a major cause of crashes.

Despite this evidence of knowledge, many people continue to speed on our state’s roadways. If issuing speeding tickets is what it takes to discourage drivers from driving dangerously above the limit, then that is what will be done. During last year’s campaign, Louisiana law officers issued more than 5,300 speeding tickets.

A speeding ticket is something a driver doesn’t want to get. They’re costly – they can be as much as $500. They can also cost you in the long term, as repeated speeding violations can result in higher insurance rates.

Speed limits are put in place to keep motorists, pedestrians and property safe. Slow down, and do your part to improve the safety of your state’s roadways.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lt. Col. John LeBlanc is the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and a Governor’s Highway Safety representative.