The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety (KOHS), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Kentucky State Police (KSP) are partnering with four local law enforcement agencies in an effort to slow down drivers on Interstate 75 in Kenton County.
Law enforcement officers from the Covington, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, and Kenton County Police Departments will be patrolling Interstate 75 from the Ohio River in Covington to the Interstate 275 interchange in Erlanger.
“The collaboration between Kenton County, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, and Covington demonstrates the solidarity these agencies have for keeping our Interstate safe for those traveling on these highly utilized roadways,” said Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette.
Starting October 1, they’ll be watching.
Officers will be issuing traffic citations for drivers displaying aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, improper lane change, following too close, distracted driving, reckless driving, and other violations.
The federally-funded speed and aggressive driving enforcement campaign runs October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
“We appreciate the KOHS and NHTSA’s assistance in providing financial support to make interstate travel safer for all commuters, particularly for residents in the Northern Kentucky region,” said Fort Mitchell Mayor Jude Hehman.
The campaign intensifies enforcement of speed violators, with an emphasis on Interstate 75 in Kenton County due to the high number of speed-related crashes.
“We receive numerous complaints about too many motorists and truckers on I-75 driving recklessly and/or too fast for conditions,” Covington Police Chief Rob Nader said. “We can reduce these complaints – and the accidents they cause – through enforcement. Through this program from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, Covington Police will work with its sister agencies to make sure our families get to where they’re going safely.”
Statistically, this section of I-75 has an unacceptable high rate of crashes per year. Traffic congestion, roadway configuration, unfamiliar motorists, and aggressive driving behaviors appear to be the root causes of many traffic crashes. The region is experiencing substantial growth with the increased volume of global commercial businesses expanding their footprint near the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. Too many people have been killed and injured in traffic crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a crash on a road with a speed limit of 65 mph or greater is more than twice as likely to result in a fatality than a crash on a road with a speed limit of 45 or 50 mph, and nearly five times as likely as a crash on a road with a speed limit of 40 mph or below.
Are they going to enforce the truck lane law going south off the bridge?