Chief Michael P Murphy
150 Park St.
North Reading, MA 01864
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2014
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
NRPD Launches Enforcement Campaign against Speeding and Aggressive Driving
The North Reading Police Department today launched a tough new speed and aggressive driving enforcement blitz for the town of North Reading. The intensified enforcement effort against speeding and aggressive drivers underscores the severity of the problem both locally and across the nation.
“Speeding translates to death on our roadways. It greatly reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve. Speeding drivers put themselves, their passengers, and other drivers at tremendous risk,” said Chief Michael Murphy.
In 2012, speeding was a contributing factor in more than a third of all fatal crashes in Massachusetts, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“During this campaign, officers will intensify enforcement of posted speed limits in North Reading. We’ll stop and ticket anyone caught speeding—especially on roads connected to school and park zones, where there is pedestrian traffic, or in our known problem intersections where most of our speed-related crashes occur,” said Chief Murphy.
The North Reading Police Department will also be on alert for aggressive drivers. Aggressive driving includes many unlawful and dangerous actions, such as exceeding posted speed limits, driving too fast for road conditions, changing lanes without signaling or yielding to other drivers, and passing in emergency lanes or on road shoulders. “By consistently enforcing traffic laws, increasing fines and other penalties against offenders, and impressing upon citizens the importance of their own safe driving habits, we can show that this dangerous behavior simply won’t be tolerated” said Chief Murphy.
For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.