On July 25, police agencies in Kane County and across the state will join forces in an effort to reduce speed-related traffic accidents for Illinois Speed Awareness Day.

The campaign is a proactive approach to promote safety for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists through both education and enforcement.

In 2016, speed was the reason for 355 traffic fatalities in Illinois — or 33.2 percent. That’s nearly one lost life per day.

“On July 25 our officers will be conducting extra patrols near intersections and roadways that have had the highest number of crashes so far this year,” said St. Charles Police Commander Eric Majewski. “We will also be handing out information to help educate citizens about how obeying the posted speed limit can reduce crashes and save lives.”

In residential areas, speeding can have the following consequences:

• When a pedestrian is hit by a car traveling at 20 mph, there is a 10 percent likelihood of being killed; at 30 mph that danger increases to 50 percent.
• The higher the speed at impact, the more severe the injuries sustained.
• 37.8 percent of speed-related crashes result in injuries.
• When speeding, there is a greater chance that other road users will misjudge how fast you are traveling.
• Speeding extends the distance required to stop a vehicle in emergency situations.
• Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to navigate safely around curves or objects in the roadway.

The Illinois Speed Awareness Day is organized by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (www.ilchiefs.org), in coordination with Faces4.org (www.faces4.org). For more information about Illinois Speed Awareness Day, visit www.illinoisspeedawarenessday.org.

SOURCE: city of St. Charles news release, illinoisspeedawarenessday.org