Scotts Valley Police Department is emphasizing the importance of safe driving practices, aligning with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA campaign: “Speeding Catches Up With You.”
Speeding remains a leading factor in traffic fatalities nationwide. In 2023, nearly 12,000 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all traffic fatalities—a slight decrease from 2022.
Speeding not only endangers drivers but also passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Authorities stress the importance of obeying speed limits, which are designed to reduce crashes and mitigate injuries. Despite reasons like traffic and lateness, speeding is a dangerous choice that increases the risk of severe injury or death by reducing a driver’s ability to react to hazards.
Scotts Valley Police Sgt. Sjon Tol highlighted that a crash at high speed can be as devastating as falling from a multi-story building. Areas like Scotts Valley Drive and Mt. Hermon Road see higher instances of speeding-related incidents, prompting increased vigilance.
Young drivers, especially males aged 15-20, and motorcyclists are disproportionately involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2023, 37% of male drivers aged 15-20 involved in fatal crashes were speeding, along with 36% of motorcyclists involved in fatalities.
Local officials urge drivers to prioritize safety by slowing down and following speed limits. For more information, visit nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding.
Vibes-based traffic safety like this is a joke. People speed on Scotts Valley Drive because it’s built like a highway, with wide lanes and nothing in the middle. Make the lanes narrower, get rid of two of them, add a median, protect the bike lanes, etc. and people will start behaving themselves with no loss of capacity (it’s not like you can average more than 30mph anyways with all the traffic lights).
These are proven solutions to the problem. Anyone opposed to a road diet just wants permission to drive unsafely without consequence.