Director of Public Information
The State Police today announced that they will step up speed enforcement efforts along the New York portion of U.S. Highway 20 on January 17, 2023. The one-day corridor project, which is targeted at reducing speed related crashes on non-interstate highways was created by the Iowa State Patrol. New York State Police is among eight other states participating in the campaign.
“Initiatives like this provide a unified effort in raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and reckless driving,” said New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli. “In 2020, 11,258 individuals were killed in speed-related accidents across the country. Speeding endangers, not only the speeder, but it also compromises the safety of other motorists. We urge New Yorkers to make safety their top priority and be mindful of the speed limit, put their phones down, and be aware and alert.”
Drivers can expect to see increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during the morning and evening drive times. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown in order to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better observe driving violations. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
U.S. Highway 20 spans 3,365 miles coast to coast. New York State has jurisdiction over 372 miles of the highway. This is the first time New York State Police is participating in the campaign. In addition to New York, other participating states include Iowa, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over the last two decades speeding has contributed to one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationally, including 29% of fatalities in 2020.