Neb. motorists continue to set records for lead-footed driving

— Paul Hammel Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — Nebraska motorists are setting records for lead-footed driving.

In the first 100 days of 2024, the Nebraska State Patrol wrote more tickets for speeding at over 90 mph and speeding at over 100 mph than in any similar period in the past decade.

The superintendent of the Patrol, Col. John Bolduc, said such excessive speeds give motorists less time to react to hazards.

“It also puts everyone else on the road at risk because other drivers aren’t [expecting] nearby vehicles to approach at such high speeds,” Bolduc said in a press release.

Excessive speeding ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fewer drivers were on the roads and law enforcement officers might have been less visible on the highways. But it hasn’t slowed down, he said.

“Help keep Nebraska roadways safe and slow down,” Bolduc said.

Thus far in 2024, state troopers have written 60% more tickets for speeding at 100 mph or more over the past 10 years, and 35% more tickets for speeding at 90 mph or more.

The numbers: 289 drivers have been stopped for speeding at more than 100 mph and 1,385 for over 90 mph.

Stopping distances at such speeds are extended to two football fields or more, Bolduc said, increasing safety risks.