USA Today is reporting that police in 11 states are joining forces for the “I-80 Challenge.” Implemented by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the “More Cops, More Stops” strategy is aimed at curbing dangerous speeding before accidents happen. The safety agency reports that summer is traditionally the deadliest season along the 2,900-mile stretch of highway. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2009 to 2011, 350 people died in crashes on the country’s second-longest interstate.
Police and troopers along the highway are escalating speed-limit enforcement from now until July 31 with the goal of zero fatalities through the month’s end. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the speed limit across I-80 ranges from 65 to 75 mph.
Motorists should be on their best behavior across the board; police are also heightening focus on impaired driving and seat-belt use. State police in California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are participating, as is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a truck safety regulatory agency.
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