OLYMPIA – In Washington State, Kitsap County would be good place to avoid if you have a problem driving the speed limit, and a lot of people do. The county the sites of new, speed-focused traffic safety pilotprojects taking place in the spring and summer months.

The first round of extra speed patrols are scheduled for Feb. 22 through March 7. Other patrols are scheduled for later in the spring and early summer.

“The data clearly shows that speeding is a major factor in serious injury and fatality collisions. Yet, we have no programs developed that have been measured and found to provide more than just a short term fix, with the exception of photo radar which has little support. We’re hoping these two new projects will provide us with a roadmap for reducing fatal and serious injury collisions involving speeding in the future,” said Washington Traffic Safety Commission director Darrin Grondel.

Traffic safety program managers in Kitsap County have built aggressive projects aimed at reducing deaths and injuries caused by speeding, including the extra speed focused patrols. As well, drivers will notice florescent orange road signs at the entrance to speed enforcement zones, variable message speed signs that indicate a motorist’s speed, and publicity efforts including radio ads and bus signage.

What drivers may not notice is that this new generation of these speed feedback signs tell project managers a lot more information about drivers, such as when the largest number of speeders are passing by the sign, the time of day, the day of week. If a driver passes the sign at an exceptionally high rate of speed, the project managers will receive and email alert from these “smart” signs.

“The mobile speed feedback signs give us data right to our computer that helps us organize and plan speed patrols that are data-driven and use the patrol time most effectively. We do not collect personal identifying information with the signs, however,” said Marsha Masters, Kitsap County’s Target Zero Manager.

From 2009 through 2013, speeding drivers killed 897 people and severely injured 3,229 in Washington State. The societal cost of those collisions totals $5.8 billion for the fatalities and another$404 million for the serious injury crashes.

Speeding is the second largest cause of fatal collisions after impaired driving and often there is an especially deadly combination of speeding and impairment.

“If it’s your loved one who dies or is horrifically injured, you know it isn’t about money. For us it isn’t about money either, it’s about the human suffering and death caused by speeding drivers. We’re hoping this project helps drivers make that connection and drive the speed limit and be sensitive to road conditions,” Grondel said.

If successful, this project, which is funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, could be duplicated throughout the state and possibly the country.

All of these extra patrols are part of Target Zero — striving to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit www.targetzero.com.

Information on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission can be found on the agency website, www.wtsc.wa.gov.