Las Vegas NowNearly 2,000 Tickets Written in Speeding Crackdown

Nearly 2,000 Tickets Written in Speeding Crackdown

If you drive the roads and freeways of southern Nevada, you know a lot of people don't obey the speed limits, and the sheer number of tickets given out during a recent law enforcement crackdown is proof of that.

What it really means is everyone needs to slow down. The final numbers are out from the most recent Joining Forces speed enforcement campaign. During a two-week period in early March, traffic officers from eight different southern Nevada law enforcement jurisdictions issued nearly 1,700 speeding citations.

That's more than double the number of speeding tickets issued during the same campaign one year ago.

During a news conference Friday, the Nevada Department of Public Safety said speed is still a contributing factor in one out of every three fatal crashes. That number is even higher for serious injury accidents.

Despite what the public may believe, officers say they don't get any enjoyment out of issuing expensive traffic citations in these tough economic times.

"This enforcement effort is not a fundraising activity for the state. We are out there legitimately trying to reduce the traffic speeds and reduce the number of serious injuries and hopefully, as our numbers have shown, cut down on those fatal crashes throughout the state," said Trooper Kevin Honea with the Nevada DPS.

The greatest number of citations were issued in Henderson, followed by the NHP's southern region and then that stretch of I-15 coming in and out of Mesquite.

Police publicize when and where crackdowns will happen ahead of time and they focus on the high-crash areas of the valley. The Joining Forces campaign emphasizes education and enforcement in an effort to raise public awareness and change driver behavior. So, if you can't afford a ticket, change your behavior and slow down.