KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mother’s Day is May 8, and if you’re hitting the roads to celebrate, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 7, consisting of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, is reminding everyone to slow down and abide by posted speed limits and move over for emergency vehicles. NHTSA is working with respective law enforcement to ramp up enforcement to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding.
This is part of NHTSA’s Slow Down Move Over enforcement effort May 6 – 8, 2022.
Nationally in 2020, 30 percent of all crash fatalities were related to speeding. According to NHTSA, a road with a speed limit of 65 mph or greater is more than twice as likely to result in a fatal crash than with a speed limit of 45 or 50 mph and nearly five times as likely with a speed limit of 40 mph or below.
“Our region loses too many lives each year in speeding-related crashes, and we are determined to change that,” said Regional Administrator Susan DeCourcy. “In 2020 alone, 787 lives in our region were lost due to speeding. That’s why we’re reminding drivers to stay alert, to watch for and obey all posted speed limits. We want to make sure everyone can celebrate together for Mother’s Day.”
In 2020, more than 11,200 lives were lost across America in speeding-related traffic crashes – a 17 percent increase from 2019. Any time drivers speed, they put themselves, their passengers, and other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
Speeding significantly reduces the driver’s ability to slow a vehicle when necessary or to steer safely around an unexpected curve, another vehicle, or hazardous object in the roadway. NHTSA hopes that drivers keep their mothers in mind when visiting over the weekend.
NHTSA’s mission is to save lives. The roadways can be a dangerous place and the speed limits are designed to protect everyone – drivers, passengers, pedestrians – everyone!
Also remember Move Over law which helps emergency vehicles, law enforcement, and tow trucks by requiring all drivers to move over a lane or, if they are unable to do that safely, slow down when they see flashing lights.
This Mother’s Day as you get behind the wheel, please remember to Slow Down Move Over. For more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding.