The Iowa State Patrol is reporting its numbers from two previous traffic-focused initiatives.

District 4 Resource Officer Trooper Shelby McCreedy tells Raccoon Valley Radio during the three-day Memorial Day holiday Iowa State Patrol had extra law enforcement on the roadways, and statewide there were close to 1,700 speeding citations issued, 42 OWI arrests, and one fatality. McCreedy says there was an additional Highway 30 Project that took place where extra law enforcement was on the highway on June 2nd and made three OWI arrests, 101 speeding citations were issued, along with 20 seat belt violations.

McCreedy was, in a word, “disappointed” with the speeding citation outcome from the June 2nd initiative. She keeps preaching that speed is the leading factor that causes fatal traffic crashes.

“And I think people grossly underestimate the danger of speed. So when we go out and do these projects and we get these kind of numbers it is kind of disheartening that people are still being so reckless on such a regular basis with their safety in regards to the speed that they choose to drive.”

McCreedy adds the risk of dying in a traffic-related crash increases 2.5 times when someone drives just ten miles per hour over the speed limit on the roadways.