Police plan I-526 blitz on speeding
MOUNT PLEASANT — Here's a driving tip: If you're in a hurry late Friday afternoon on Interstate 526, slow down, because police plan a rush-hour traffic enforcement blitz there near Long Point Road.
The speed limit is 65 mph. "We've had cars pushing into the 130s," Sgt. Pat Carter said.
The highest speed in town, 141 miles per hour, was clocked last year on the interstate.
Police issued 89 traffic citations in February on I-526. Most of them were for speeding and aggressive driving, Carter said. Five collisions happened last month that involved injuries, he said. Tempers can flare when drivers have a need for speed, which has resulted in road rage incidents, said Sgt. Steve Meadows.
At least seven police vehicles will be enforcing traffic laws Friday afternoon on I-526, officials said.
Town officials have been concerned about speeding and traffic safety in the area for nearly a year. They asked the state Department of Transportation to study whether lowering the speed limit was warranted. Last spring, the DOT recommended against reducing the speed limit because it found that most drivers were not traveling too fast. The department monitored 100 drivers at three locations on I-526 and found that 85 percent of them were within 65 mph. An average of 50,000 vehicles travel I-526 daily.
According to the DOT study, 100 vehicles traveling the 2.5 miles from the Wando River Bridge to Long Point Road had an average radar speed of 60.7 mph and speeds ranging from 48 mph to 70 mph. And 100 cars clocked on the 1.25 miles from Long Point Road to the U.S. 17 Georgetown exit were measured traveling 47 mph to 72 mph, with an average radar speed of 58.7 mph.
Officers working speed patrol Wednesday on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge said most people were obeying the 55 mph speed limit. The highest speed ticketed Wednesday was 77 mph.
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Comments
moonpie (anonymous) says...
how about the trucks, big rigs riding our asses?
I bet they were most of the 15% that were NOT doing the speed limit!
Seems like they turn a blind eye to them.?
March 20, 2008 at 6:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Kerry (anonymous) says...
I suppose they picked Good Friday, which is a holiday for many, so the usual weekly offenders will not be affected. Why not enforce the speed limit on this well known race track every day of the year? There should be at least one marked car patroling this route on a daily basis, but an obvious police presence is hardly ever the case unless there is a major accident.
March 20, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toastchee (anonymous) says...
Remember, if you slow down, you also save gas.
March 20, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
catburger00 (anonymous) says...
Gotta love the reasoning here.
"If people are disregarding the speed limit, what's the best way to get them to follow it? I know! Let's lower the speed limit!"
Speeding is not an issue on this stretch of 526. It's ridiculous that they are devoting so much time and attention to this area. How about actually staying on the road, patrolling, and pulling over only the jerks on the road either weaving in and out of traffic, refusing to signal, running red lights, failing to yield, tailgating, etc. instead of good drivers going above an artificially low speed limit? Go after the dangerous drivers, not the fast ones.
(I'm referring of course to those going slightly above the limit, I'm not defending those going 80+)
March 20, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
moonpie, Big rigs due seem to get a free pass on how fast they can drive. One thing that I don't miss about living in Goose Creek was the section of freeway between College Park and Ashley Phosphate. Just the amount of road debree falling off the trucks is enough to make you want to scream when you see the damage it does to your windshield (and paint job) Yet nothing is done about this. Apparantly this isn't seen as a safety issue.
How many times have you seen people running red lights along Rivers Avenue? The intersection of Rivers and Aviation is particularly bad, and yet nothing is done about that either.
Personally, I miss the freeways we had overseas. In Turkey the city streets were filled with cars, pedestrians and taxi cabs, and traffic jams were a problem, but the freeways over there were smooth, safe and fast. The German Autobahn is one of the best highways in the world. We could definately take a few lessons from them.
And if you want to solve the problem of red light runners? Simple. Put a camera at the intersection. Even if you're not comfortable with having a computer write the ticket they could always have a squad car parked further up the road to pull them over.
Tailgating is something that really ticks me off. I have to wonder if some people believe that there's a trophy waiting for them at their home, or if they're trying to shave off a few seconds on their daily commute. Auto manufacturers may have a solution for this though.
Hyundai has recently unveiled a new vehicle which is equipped with sensor technology to prevent tailgating. When you go above a certain speed (stop'n'go traffic is going to be bumper to bumper) the computer will determine if you are following too close. It will then over-ride what you're doing and slow the car down. Very soon I hope this becomes a standard (and mandatory) feature on all vehicles sold in the US.
March 20, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
froglegs (anonymous) says...
There would be no tailgaiting if the people going just at the speed limit or below it riding in the left lane would move over to the right lane. As well I would like to see a sting operation by the police to pull over everyone with out of state plates who live here and avoid paying their taxes each year. It is eay to tell they live here to from the Palmetto Flag sticker on their car.
March 20, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CaptKick (anonymous) says...
I drive I-526 everyday to get to and from work. I get on at Clemmens Ferry Road and off at Virginia Ave. It is the scariest 6 minutes of my life every morning and afternoon. I have had my share of speeding tickets in the past but it is DANGEROUS out there. It is not just the big trucks - that is a cop out! That survey is a JOKE! Get some cops out there and right some more tickets EVERYDAY - not just Friday. It will save lives! SLOW DOWN!
March 20, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LadyTarHeel (anonymous) says...
526 is CRAZY. I try not to drive on it no more than I have to. It seems like everytime I do there's some jerk who wants to ride my bumper so close that I can see what he ate for breakfast. I don't cruise the left lane either. I stay in the right lane unless I need to pass as I don't like driving at break neck speeds. I agree with the idea that all drivers should be ticketed for reckless driving and speeding at all times, not just one day chosen at random.
froglegs: You propose that the police just pull over everyone with out of state tags even if they don't break the law. Isn't that unethical? I'm not native to South Carolina and still have my North Carolina tags as I am a full-time student at MUSC and do not have to change my residency, unless I decide I want to reside in South Carolina permanently. So, should I get a ticket just because I'm a student and don't pay taxes? I pay the SC government a substantial part of my stipend check every month, so shouldn't that count?
March 20, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
froglegs (anonymous) says...
I understand students and active military are allowed to have out of state plates. Ladytarheel, if you were pulled over then you would be able to provide your student ID. At that point you should be free to go. In this situation I feel it is not unethical. In the same situation if you were pulled over and not able to produce a military ID or a student ID then you have broken the law and the police officer which pulled you over would be correct in pulling you over. That is the reason why we are given identification cards. If a police officer stopped me on the street I have to produce ID and if not I can be ticketed. Same scenario.
March 20, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toastchee (anonymous) says...
Amen - CapnKick. I have seen 2-3 terrible accidents in6 months on Clements Ferry.
March 20, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Corder2007 (anonymous) says...
toastchee.....i know what you mean about the clements ferry accidents, saw the same ones. I travel that road every day to and from work. I am not sure if it is the motorists who disregard the rigs or the other way around but i suspect that both the rigs and the motorists contribute to it when it comes to speeding. It is not just the rigs on that road!
March 20, 2008 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoebaby77 (anonymous) says...
I got a ticket a few years ago when coming down the Wando bridge into Mt. P for going 79 mph. The reason I was going 79 was because there was this huge truck riding my arse so closely I thought for sure some paint from my bumper would be on his front bumper. The cop was in front of me, so when he pulled me over he gave me the "Ma'am, I can't do my job unless I speed" routine. He wasn't very happy when I told him I can't stay alive from big bad trucks unless I speed.
March 20, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LadyTarHeel (anonymous) says...
Thanks froglegs. I see where you are coming from now. That makes complete and total sense.
March 20, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PalmettoDP (anonymous) says...
This sounds like a revenue generating program done in the name of safety. SCDOT did not find this section of 526 particularly more dangerous than other sections of roads of the same type or they would have lowered the speed limit (like on US 17 between Gardens Corner and Jacksonboro). If aggressive truck driving is a problem, that could be solved by restricting them to the right lane in certain areas.
March 20, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JohnS (anonymous) says...
Local container truckers are paid by the number of containers moved across the bridge. Many do seven to ten trips a day. If you are in the way crossing the Mark Clark bridge you will get run over. The CB talk is always talking about getting the four wheelers out of the way. They feel they own the highway to themselves.
March 20, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
This is only about the money. The penalties for speeding are not enough to prevent people from speeding. It's just another tax, like on smokers and drinkers.
March 20, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BillMan (anonymous) says...
The DUI arrests downtown have tripled in the last few years, I believe alot of the people getting caught on the interstate and other local roads are coming from downtown bars, alot of enforcement in these surrounding areas wouldnt be necessary if they cut it off downtown!
March 20, 2008 at 6:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
Just this morning, a mini-Cooper going 80+ passed me on 526. I drive 526 to and from work 5 days a week, and the trucks are not the worst offenders on that road.
For what it's worth, if a cop writes a ticket, he/she is doing his job. If you don't agree with the law, take it up with your legislator and plead your case in front of the judge.
March 20, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dakine (anonymous) says...
I have found that most of time on interstates, drivers are traveling with the flow of the traffic, most times over the speed limit, sometimes trying to maneuver away from erratic driving patterns, thus driving over the speed limits.
March 20, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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