460th SFS launches “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine” enforcement campaign against speeding Published Oct. 4, 2018 460th Security Forces Squadron According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during 2015, more than 9,500 lives were lost across America in speeding-related traffic crashes. Even one life lost to speeding is too many. Here at Buckley Air Force Base, we’re taking the safety of our members to the next level. The 460th Security Forces Squadron will intensify enforcement activities on speeding to save lives. During the “Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine” enforcement campaign, conducted October 12th through November 25th, Defenders will increase directed enforcement of posted speed limits at Buckley AFB and will be stopping and ticketing anyone caught speeding. According to NHTSA, a crash is considered speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense or if the responding officer indicates the driver was driving too fast for conditions or was exceeding the posted speed limit. Nationally, in 2015, speeding was a contributing factor in 29 percent of all fatal crashes. In fact, nationally in 2015, 85 percent of all speeding-related traffic fatalities occurred on non-Interstate roadways -- where the posted speed limits were 55 miles per hour or lower. 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. Only 15 percent of the nation’s speeding-related fatalities occurred on Interstate highways that year. We need to remind all drivers that speeding greatly reduces the ability to slow a vehicle when necessary or to steer safely around an unexpected curve, another vehicle or hazardous object in the roadway. In school zones or neighborhoods, the driver could strike a child or an animal running across the road. Driving above the posted speed limit or speeding in bad weather conditions dramatically increase the chance that a motorist will be involved in a crash. When drivers speed they put themselves, their passengers, other drivers and pedestrians at tremendous risk. Nationally, during 2015, speeding was a factor in 17 percent of all fatal crashes on dry roads, and in 21 percent of those occurring on wet roads. In wintry conditions, the numbers were even worse -- with speeding a factor in 34 percent of the fatal crashes when there was snow on the road, and in 43 percent of the fatal crashes that occurred on icy roads. During the upcoming enforcement campaign, law enforcement will be out targeting and ticketing speeding drivers. Our goal is to save lives. All drivers need to be on alert - the posted speed limit IS THE LAW. When it comes to speeding, no more warnings and no more excuses - Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine.