July 01, 2025
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Oswego police part of six-state crackdown on speeding motorists today

By Shaw Local News Network
Oswego Police Officer Scott Hart talks to a motorist during a traffic stop last month.

FILE PHOTO: Oswego police officer talks to a motorist during a traffic stop. (Shea Lazansky)

Motorists traveling through Oswego today, Wednesday, July 27 may want to make sure they are driving at or below the posted speed limit.

In a statement, Oswego police announced they are joining law enforcement officers from six states--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin--in this year’s National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Region 5′s high visibility Speed Awareness Day enforcement campaign.

This campaign is an effort to address the drastic increase in speed and hazardous moving violations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, police said.

Speeding is involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide. NHTSA statistical projections for 2021 shows traffic deaths grew by 10.5% to 42,915. This also represents the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the highest annual percentage increase in the recorded history of data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

In 2020 there were 5,413 fatal injuries in the six-state region with 1,668 (30.8%) being speed related fatalities. Traffic crashes that result in death due to speeding are higher in the summer months. The highest fatalities occur between June to September.

According to the NHTSA, drivers who speed are also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt, drinking and driving, or using a cell phone while driving.

The speed awareness campaign has a two-fold approach: to combine increased, zero-tolerance enforcement with effective communication to road users on the importance of obeying the speed limit. High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) is a proven countermeasure for reinforcing driver compliance with posted speed limits, according to police.

The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and save lives, police said.

Police concluded the statement: “There is no reason to speed, it is unnecessary and endangers everyone on the road. It may get you there a bit faster, but if you obey the speed limit signs, you will most likely arrive alive.”

For more information, please visit http://trafficsafetymarketing.gov/.