BOISE, Idaho — Idaho State Police troopers are noticing a troubling trend.
Citations for excessive speed and reckless driving have increased across the West and in Idaho.
Deadly and serious crashes are also up, along with speed-related rollovers.
This trend comes even as fewer people hit the road during the pandemic.
Since June of 2020, troopers have issued more than 5,800 tickets for excessive speeding. That's when a driver is going 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.
They've handed out 200 tickets more than from a year ago – an average of nearly two a day.
Reckless driving citations have also gone up over that same time span. ISP says they have issued 39 more citations so far.
They say to prevent these injuries and deaths, law enforcement agencies across our region are joining forces to remind drivers that safe speeds are essential and it can save lives.
"Our goal is to keep families whole and keep people safe on our roadways. Speeding is aggressive and puts the speeding driver as well as everyone around them at risk. It's one of the most dangerous things a driver can do," said Idaho State Police Lt. Jens Pattis.
"Behind the wheel, we all need to be safe and courteous. And we're strengthening that message by unifying efforts with partner agencies throughout the West to let folks know that wherever they travel, their safety and the safety of others is absolutely our priority, even if it means writing them a citation when they fail to watch their speed."
The speed education and enforcement campaign starts on Friday, June 25 and goes through Sunday, June 27.
The dates for the campaign are intended to remind drivers of safe behavior headed into the busy Fourth of July holiday.
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