Hartford Seeks To Curb Speeding And Related Accidents
Hartford officials are expanding their efforts to capture reckless and speeding drivers due to the city’s rise in hit-and-runs and deadly crashes. The plan to increase patrols comes after a recent hit-and-run crash causing injuries to four women and a hit-and-run crash in March that killed basketball coach Kendall May of Prince Tech.
According to Hartford Police Department’s spokesperson, Lt. Aaron Boisvert, speeding is a top cause of city motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths. Eight deaths, 1,493 crashes, and 742 injuries occurred in Hartford in 2022 due to aggressive driving and speeding.
To curb aggressive driving and speeding-related injuries and death, the city will receive a grant worth $74,000 from the Connecticut Department of Transport (DOT). The funding is a portion of the grant money the state distributes yearly to municipalities with the highest incidents of speeding-related motor vehicle accidents. The grant money comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSC) and will place more police officers on high-risk streets.
Police officers will perform speed checkpoints around summertime at different locations throughout Hartford. The HPD will not announce the locations of the speed checkpoints, but many crashes have occurred along main city roads, such as Asylum Ave., which is up for a redesign to make it safer and less prone to speeding accidents. Police officers plan to initiate speeding checkpoints beginning July 1.
Why Drivers Engage In Speeding And Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving encompasses a variety of dangerous driving practices, such as:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Moving in and out of traffic
- Changing lanes erratically
- Cutting off other vehicles
- Illegal passing
- Speeding through traffic signals and lights
Many drivers engage in speeding and other aggressive driving practices due to the following:
- Running late – Many drivers speed through traffic or perform aggressive driving maneuvers because they rush to school, work, lessons, or other appointments.
- Traffic congestion – This is why many drivers resort to aggressive driving behaviors, such as driving past the speed limit, changing lanes, illegally passing, or reacting angrily at other road users who may block their way.
- The anonymity factor – Motor vehicle occupants are not in plain sight, making them feel detached from their surroundings. In some cases, this detachment and a false sense of anonymity can make people feel bolder and at risk of making poor driving choices. This is especially true for drivers who have been in hit-and-run crashes.
Get In Touch With A Skilled Hartford Roadside Lawyer Now
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a crash due to a speeding driver or one who engaged in aggressive or reckless driving behaviors, you deserve full compensation for the injuries and expenses you incurred due to their negligent actions. To find out what our Hartford roadside lawyer can do for your case, fill out our online form or call Berman & Russo at 860-644-1548. You can learn more about your options for recovering compensation in a free case review with our Hartford roadside lawyer.
