With more people staying off the roads, local law enforcement officials have seen an increase in reckless driving.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, there has been a 113% increase in citations for speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour and a 70% rise in citations of 25 mph over the speed limit compared to the four-year average. Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he’s seen a similar jump, “A lot of people are under the impression that law enforcement isn’t going to enforce the law. The high-speed chases are up, the reckless driving is way up. I participate in a conference call quite frequently and everybody is seeing a spike in chases, people thinking that law enforcement’s not going to chase them and they can get away with running 100-miles-per-hour on the interstate. And I think all law enforcement is seeing that, especially those who have interstates and main highways going through.” 

Sheriff Leonard emphasizes that just because of the unusual circumstances, that doesn’t mean driving laws won’t be enforced.