Speeding in residential areas is one of the most common sources of citizen complaints to the police. It is often the chief concern of community groups, largely because of the perceived risks to children. Yet because speeding must compete with other problems for police attention, problems that may appear far more serious, the police often do not devote a lot of resources to it.

Speeding in residential areas causes five basic types of harm:

• Citizens fear for children’s safety

• Pedestrians and bicyclists fear for their safety

• Increases the risk of vehicle crashes

• Increases the seriousness of injuries to other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists struck by a vehicle.

• Increases noise from engine acceleration and tire friction.

Speeding increases the risks of crashes and injuries for several reasons:

• the driver is more likely to lose control of the vehicle

• the vehicle safety equipment is less effective at higher speeds

• the distance it takes to stop the vehicle is greater

• the vehicle travels farther during the time it takes the driver to react to a hazard

• crashes are more severe at higher speeds

Many drivers admit to speeding in residential areas. Their reasons for speeding include being behind schedule and wanting to make up for lost time, being unaware of the speed limit, and trying to keep up with other traffic. 90 percent of drivers that speed in residential neighborhoods live in those same neighborhoods.

The Maple Valley Police would like to remind everyone that the speed limit in residential areas posted or not, is 25 mph. Please help make your neighborhood a safe place to be.