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Boulder City, NV
Opinion

I-11 is NOT the Autobahn

By Boulder City Police Department
June 13, 2024 - 5:06 pm
 

When the I-11 highway opened almost six years ago, it alleviated much of the heavy traffic congestion through Boulder City. But this beautiful expanse of open road brought with it a sense that “opening up” and putting the pedal to the metal is OK. It’s not.

Boulder City Police Department is “Joining Forces” once again with participating law enforcement agencies in Nevada for a Joining Forces Speed Awareness Campaign. The campaign is taking place from June 5 – June 21, 2024.

From 2018 to 2022, there were 505 speeding-related fatalities in Nevada, with 350 occurring in Clark County. In fact, speeding is one of the biggest contributors to fatalities on Nevada’s roadways. In 2022, speeding killed 12,151 people nationwide — accounting for 29% of total traffic fatalities.

I-11 is a well-designed roadway with no sight restrictions or hard curves, but the collision rate and fatality rate are quite high. When you speed, your ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve is reduced. Officers see vehicles travel in excess of 100 mph on I-11 several times a week. At speeds like that, one small move can have devastating impacts. As a result, Boulder City first responders have seen far too many fatal accidents on the highway.

Speeding isn’t just about going faster than the posted speed limit. Speeding includes driving too fast during bad weather conditions such as rain, ice, and snow and jeopardizing your safety and the safety of others on the road. That’s why it’s so important to educate motorists during those high-profile campaigns.

The Joining Forces Speed Awareness Campaign aims to increase law enforcement participation and public safety by coordinating highly visible patrols across the state of Nevada with the goal of raising awareness, educating the motoring public, and saving lives. The Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) provides funding for law enforcement agencies to participate in Joining Forces to reduce traffic deaths.

Speeding is more than just breaking the law. The consequences are far-ranging:

■ Greater potential for loss of vehicle control.

■ Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger.

■ Increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries.

Boulder City Police Department remains dedicated to bringing the number of fatalities on Nevada’s roadways to zero through increasing public awareness about the dangers of speeding, driving unrestrained, impaired driving, distracted driving and more. More information about safe driving and the Nevada Zero Fatalities goal is available online at www.ZeroFatalitiesNV.com.

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