Edwardsville Police issue 53 citations as part of recent multi-state Speed Awareness Day

By Managing Editor | August 3, 2023 |

The Edwardsville Police Department joined law enforcement officers from eleven states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska) on July 26, 2023, in this year’s NHTSA Region 5 high visibility Speed Awareness Day enforcement campaign.

Edwardsville officers issued a total of 53 citations during the campaign, with 41 of those citations being for speed related violations.

The Speed Awareness Day campaign had a twofold approach: to combine increased, zero-tolerance enforcement with effective communication to road users on the importance of obeying the speed limit.

This one-day speed enforcement event was a partnership coordinated by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The initiative was held in July because data and studies show that the most fatal crashes where speed is a contributing factor occur between June and September.

“The hard work of our officers in these enforcement efforts were instrumental in preventing injuries and saving lives,” said Lt. Brandn Whittaker. “We want to remind the public that speed is one of the leading contributing factors to fatal traffic crashes and deaths. There is never a good reason for a motorist to exceed the speed limit and endanger others.”

During the enforcement campaign, the Edwardsville Police Department specifically targeted roadways with high concentrations of traffic crashes and high concentrations of citizen complaints regarding speeding. The Edwardsville Police are committed to working with citizens to ensure everyone arrives home safely.