The Superior Police Department is stepping up traffic enforcement in the city due to a steep rise in vehicle crashes.
The number of traffic crashes nationwide increased 18.5% in the first six months of 2021, the largest six-month increase ever recorded, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Superior is facing an even bigger hike, said Community Policing Officer Bradley Jago in a news release.
“Traffic crashes in the city of Superior are up approximately 25% this year, which concerns our department,” he said.
That’s up 10% from Nov. 4, when the detour routing traffic to the Bong Bridge was put in place, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.
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Studies have shown that increasing the enforcement of speeding, safety belt violations, failure-to-yield right of way and inattentive driving violations reduce the severity and overall number of crashes. Officers will begin to conduct traffic stops for these kinds of violations along routes that have an increased number of traffic crashes.
“Superior police officers will be paying particular attention to the Belknap Viaduct area, as a large amount of traffic has been funneled to the Bong Bridge area due to construction at the ‘Can of Worms,’ and along East Second Street,” Jago said.
Most crashes, including fatal crashes, occur between 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Contributing factors often include speeding, inattentive driving and following too closely.
Public information campaigns and an uptick in traffic enforcement are the tools police departments can use to help reduce traffic crashes, Jago said. The Superior Police Department aims to focus on both.
“The greatest tool available to any community in terms of reducing crashes, however, is in the hands of the drivers themselves. Simply by slowing down and buckling up, drivers can play a huge part in the reduction of crashes,” Jago said. “Please join us in our mission to ensure no family suffers the loss of a loved one from a traffic crash during this holiday season.”
