Good afternoon,
As we head into the Labor Day Weekend and the informal end of summer, it was encouraging to learn that the Delaware State Police will sharpen their focus on speeders.
A rare non-crime release from the DSP reported that troopers “have seen an increase in vehicles speeding on Delaware roadways. Additionally, troopers have received several concerns from the community and elected officials regarding speeding.”
The problem areas listed in the release are along Route 1 as well as areas in and around Newark.
Many of Delaware’s fatal and serious personal injury crashes have involved speeding, along with intoxication (both alcohol and drugs) and distracted driving, DSP reported. Of late, media accident posts far too often show horrific images of high-speed collisions.
In a joint effort with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, more officers will be deployed in trouble spots.
Those of us traveling on Route 1 are well aware that at times the area around Christiana Mall is scarier than Delaware’s stretches of interstate. Interestingly, much of the bad behavior is in off times when traffic is moderate.
The same can be said along other areas of 1 south of the C&D Canal.
High-speed lane changes minus turn signals and Fast and Furious wannabees getting up past 90 miles an hour are just a couple of the hazards.
Enforcement along 1 is tricky and dangerous, given the traffic volumes and the growing number of distracted drivers checking their smartphones or increasingly large dashboard information screens.
Granted, tickets can be irritating, especially if it involves going seven miles over in a beach town in December.
When it comes to 1, a stepped-up presence of troopers will be a welcome development. More needs to be done about traffic conditions that worsened during the pandemic – even if it amounts to having an idling Chevy Yukon in a highly visible location.
Have a safe weekend and keep the many victims of Ida here and elsewhere in your thoughts. Our newsletter returns on Tuesday. – Doug and Sharon Rainey.
