NORTH
VALLEY – Speeding is a major contributor in about 90 percent
of all serious motor vehicle accidents in Maricopa County,
according to sheriff’s officials.
“With
the growth spurt in the North Valley, longer drive‑times
mean people are driving faster and cutting corners on
their commute time,” said Doug Matteson, spokesman for
the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
“Automobile
manufacturers are making cars so comfortable, it doesn’t
feel like you’re moving that fast at 80 miles per hour.
Slow down when you drive; you’re driving a moving bullet.”
Speed
limit signs are there for a reason, Matteson points out.
Safety studies determine the speed a car can travel and
its driver still have time to react in the event something
unexpected occurs–like sudden braking by the vehicle ahead
or a pedestrian darting into the roadway.
“Maricopa
County is notorious for its speeding vehicles,” Matteson
said, noting drivers are
very aggressive and often not defensive.
Long
travel distances, beautiful weather and open spaces contribute
to the speeding problem. Other factors such as test messaging
or talking on cell phones while driving, putting on makeup,
and making radio or CD selections also cause many accidents.
“But
speed outweighs most other factors,” Matteson emphasized.
The
sheriff’s office uses photo enforcement cameras as well
as mobile radar units to help deputies catch speeders,
but there are more speeders than deputies on patrol.
Speed
deterrents include criminal citations for excessively
high speeds.
Driving
more than 85 mph on marked highways is a criminal misdemeanor,
punishable by as much as six months to a year in jail.
Twenty‑five mph or more in a school zone is a criminal
offense and, in a residential zone, driving 20 mph over
the speed limit is also criminal speeding. Other speeding
tickets are civil penalties.
