Hawkeye Reporter

According to the Iowa State Patrol, there has been a decrease in overall traffic, but an increase in speeding tickets being issued during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

State Patrol is especially concerned about the number of speeders that are being pulled over for driving in excess of 100 mph. 

The decrease in traffic on the roads means that people are obeying directives to stay home, but the wide-open space on the roads seems to be enticing drivers to speed. 

“We’re talking anywhere from 30 to 50% less car traffic out on the road, so people are doing their part and staying home with this and doing a good thing that way, but we just need people to understand that they need to slow down. Speed is still the number one factor in our major crashes that we have on the roadways out there that are killing people," said Iowa State Patrol Trooper Kevin Krull.

The number of citations issued for speeders traveling over 100 mph is up 62% year-over-year. Thankfully, the increase in speeders has not correlated to an increase in motor vehicle fatalities.