Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Urging Drivers to Slow Down

Raising awareness about the dangers of speeding

Madison, Ind. — This summer, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with other Indiana law enforcement agencies to keep drivers and passengers safe by raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and urging drivers to obey speed limits.

From July 10 to July 31, law enforcement officers in your community will be on high alert for speeding vehicles while participating in the Speeding Slows You Down campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).

Not only is speeding illegal, it’s also deadly. In 2021, speeding killed 252 people in Indiana, accounting for more than one-quarter of all crash fatalities. Tragically, there was a dramatic increase (15%) in speeding-related crash fatalities from 2021-2022.

Preliminary data shows that in 2022, speeding killed 290 people in Indiana, with nearly 300 fatalities projected in 2023. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind drivers that, no matter how seasoned you are as a driver, ultimately, Speeding Slows You Down.

Much like impaired driving, speeding can have deadly consequences for the driver, passengers, and pedestrians. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve. Even the safest cars with the newest technologies are limited in how much they can help reduce the odds of a crash.

“Speed limit signs are not suggestions, they are the law,” said Sheriff Ben Flint. “They are posted for the safety of the driver and others. Unfortunately, we see people speeding every day. If you’re killed in a crash, or if you kill someone else, that’s it – there’s no second chance. Speeding just isn’t worth the risk,” said Sheriff Ben Flint.

According to data from ICJI, more people crash while speeding on local roads than on highways. In 2022, 77% of all speeding-related traffic crashes on Indiana roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.

Drivers in Jefferson County should be especially aware of this campaign and their speed on major roads and local county roads. “Local roads are where most of our speeding-related crashes occur,” said Sheriff Ben Flint. “We will be concentrating our efforts in these areas,” he said. For more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding.