When Indiana State Police Sgt. David Bursten spotted a motorist speeding past him on a recent morning, the trooper didn’t hesitate to pull the driver over.
Bursten clocked the vehicle going 28 miles over the speed limit on a busy interstate loop during rush hour.
The motorist’s excuse? He was late leaving home for work and according to his mobile GPS navigation system — which estimates arrival time based on speed and distance – driving that fast was the only way he’d make it on time.
Bursten issued him a ticket with a $150 fine and a few words of advice: “Better to be late than dead.”
Speeding is one of the top three causes of crashes in Indiana, and by targeting speeding and other risky behavior by motorists traveling in high-crash areas, the Indiana State Police is credited with reducing fatalities on Indiana’s highways.
Last year, Indiana saw a record low in traffic fatalities and a record high in traffic tickets and warnings issued by the state police. The 680 deaths caused by traffic accidents in 2009 was the lowest since 1925.
The number of traffic arrests and written warnings was nearly 1 million in 2009, about twice the number issued in 2004, just before state police launched their targeted crash reduction program.
But whether the state is on track to continue what’s been a five-year trend in reduced crashes, both fatal and non-fatal, is hard to tell.
Already, there have been more fatal crashes on Indiana highways in the first eight months of 2010 than there was in the first eight months of 2009.
But the numbers, which are tracked for the state by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, are mixed.
The number of fatal accidents on rural highways continues to decrease. The number of fatal accidents in urban areas is up.
According to the ICJI numbers, there have been 435 fatal crashes as of Aug. 25, compared to 416 for the same time period last year. Fatal crashes in urban areas, defined as those within incorporated city limits, are at 161 this year, compared to 134 during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, accidents on rural roads are down: 274 during the first eight months of 2010, compared to 282 in 2009.
The Indiana State Police says its too early to speculate on the numbers.
“They vary so much month by month, that you can’t conclude yet that were going to have more crashes by the end of this year than last,” said ISP Sgt. Anthony Emery.
Maureen Hayden is statehouse bureau chief for CNHI’s Indiana newspapers. She can be reached at maureen.hayden@indianamediagroup.com
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