Updated on Thursday, August 1, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. –
After the eight day effort to increase roadway safety along I-80, Iowa law enforcement has reported zero fatalities during the week in the state.
Eleven state police and highway patrol agencies patrolled 2,900 miles of I-80. Two deaths were reported during the week-long effort in Nebraska and Ohio, according to the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
Drivers surveyed said they did notice a considerable increase in police patrolling the highway. Also, those surveyed complimented the message boards set in place by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Original story published on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 1:38 p.m. —
Illinois State Police are wrapping up a week-long crackdown of speeding on I-80.
The I-80 Challenge started on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 and was scheduled to end on Wednesday, July 31, with the goal to reduce traffic deaths.
Jason Wilson from the Illinois State Police Department, District 7 said extra officers were out during the week to enforce all traffic laws, checking for speeding, seatbelts, distracted driving, cell-phone use, and those driving under the influence. He said in Illinois it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving through a construction zone or a school zone.
“We feel that if there are many police officers with lights activated out there on the road, people are going to start paying a lot more attention,” Wilson said.
Over the week, Wilson said he stopped roughly 30 to 40 cars.
The Illinois Department of Transportation will be turning statistics sometime after the I-80 Challenge ends at midnight.