The second effort in as many years to reduce speeding on U.S. 89 through Davis County has resulted in more than 130 speeding citations in a little over two weeks.
Davis County sheriff's deputies, along with Utah Highway Patrol troopers and police officers from cities along the highway, launched the enforcement drive the first week in May.Since then, 133 speeders have been ticketed, 117 warnings have been issued, five arrests made, and one drunken driver picked up, according to the sheriff's department.
"We're trying to get people's attention," said Sheriff Harry V. Jones. "People treat that stretch of highway like it's a freeway, an extension of I-15. It's not. It's a rural, four-lane highway with all kinds of intersections, driveways, and access points on it.
"That's what makes it dangerous. That, plus the high speeds of the motorists, is what causes accidents. And that's what we're trying to slow down," said the sheriff.
Costs of the program, including supplementing overtime pay for off-duty officers from cities along U.S. 89, come from the federally-funded "Arrive Alive" program, which is administered by the sheriff's department.
Sgt. Rod Davis and Deputy Ryan Evans hadn't been manning their radar post near 200 North in Kaysville more than a few minutes Thursday afternoon before they picked up their first target - a late-model red Honda, zipping down the road at 67 mph.
"He wasn't very happy about it. He got two citations, one for speeding and one for not wearing his seat belt," Evans said after stopping the driver. The enforcement effort is aimed at reducing specific traffic hazards and deputies are looking for motorists who violate the state's mandatory seat belt and child restraint laws, in addition to speeders.
Evans said he's clocked speeders at up to 90 mph on stretches of U.S. 89 and Davis recently stopped a driver at just under 100 mph, going north in the southbound lanes.
Davis and Evans made no effort to hide their sheriff's department truck, but rather parked it on a frontage road adjacent to the highway, visible to oncoming traffic for hundreds of yards.
"We're trying to be visible, let them know we're here. That's part of getting drivers to slow down," said Davis.
"But it doesn't seem to make much difference," Evans added, clocking another speeder at 66 mph.
"I've sat up there personally and watched cars come down the highway at 70, 80, even 90 miles an hour," the sheriff said.
"So, our answer is to put more patrol cars up there and write more tickets," Jones said. "Education hasn't worked very well, so enforcement, right now, is our only tool."