WI Speed Enforcement Day; law enforcement out in force July 31

MILWAUKEE - Law enforcement agencies, including the Wisconsin State Patrol, will join states across the Midwest to step up patrols for Speed Enforcement Day on Wednesday, July 31.

A news release says the campaign is a 24-hour, high-visibility enforcement effort involving state, county and local law enforcement agencies. The Wisconsin State Patrol will have all available officers working statewide to stop drivers who are endangering safety on the roads.

Officials say the goal of Speed Awareness Day is to educate the community on the dangers of speeding and save lives. In 2023, statistics show someone in Wisconsin was injured or killed in a speed-related crash every 1.3 hours. There were 16,401 speed-related crashes that resulted in 176 fatalities and more than 6,500 people were injured.

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The number of 100+ mph citations issued by State Patrol rose sharply during the pandemic, from 583 citations in 2019 to 1,403 citations in 2020. These numbers have remained high over the past four years, with 1,266 citations in 2023.

Speeding is considered a form of reckless driving.