What You Can Do To Stop Speeding Drivers In The Neighborhood: Block Talk

Melon lives on a road that leads to a golf course.

“People speed by my house all the time,” Melon said in response to a recent survey on residential speeding and what can be done about it for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. “People are so focused on getting to the golf course, they forget this is a residential street.”

Melon is resigned to golfers rushing to make their tee times zooming up and down the road.

“The police don’t care now. I don’t feel I will notice any change,” the Across America Patch reader said. “I would have liked to see one of those electronic signs go up as a reminder: speed limit 25 / your speed …”

So, what’s the solution?

Reckless Driving ‘Normalized’

Doing nothing isn’t an option, said Laura. The stakes are too high.

“We have children who ride bikes and people who like to go for a walk,” said Laura, who reads Across America Patch, and three of our Connecticut local news sites, South Windsor Patch, Vernon Patch and Greater Hartford Patch.

“What if they were to get hit because of someone’s inability to slow down?”

Her question highlights the core of survey respondents’ greatest anxieties — that someone’s child or pet will be injured or killed because drivers are in a rush.

“I’d like to believe this is simply an issue of age and maturity, but it isn’t,” said Hamden (Connecticut) Patch reader Dee. “I see 35 to 60-year-old adults speeding through our neighborhood daily, and they should know better; but it’s clear these folks don’t care enough to modify their behavior, even though many have pets and young children walking around the neighborhood.”

Reckless driving has become “normalized” because police haven’t made neighborhood patrols a priority, Dee said.

“This didn’t begin in the last 10 years,” Dee said. “It’s become the norm.”

Susan, who lives in the Twin Cities and reads Minneapolis Patch and Saint Paul Patch, lives along a busy road posted with a 30 mph speed limit.

“People speed every day — some at an OK 40 mph, but often some who must be racing to a fire,” Susan said. “Because I live at the top of the hill with a blind spot, sadly I have witnessed a couple of accidents in the short time I’ve lived here.

“I have often thought about creating my own sign that reads: SLOW! Baby animals crossing. And then maybe putting a few decoys around!”

‘Off-Loading Does Not Work’

The national partisan divide surrounding “defund the police” has caused some local governments to shift resources for uniformed officers to social workers. Others have increased their budgets. And some police departments around the country have contracted with private security companies to provide routine patrol because they lack the resources to provide services, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Our unofficial survey asked readers about that, too.

“I don’t trust them,” said Plymouth-Whitemarsh Patch reader Mary, who lives in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania. “Why aren’t we paying for more police if we can pay for private patrol services?”

Summit (New Jersey) Patch reader Robert doesn’t see how hiring private security companies would help the situation.

“Many in the public already doubt and resist the authority of sworn law enforcement,” Robert said. “Further, private security sometimes increases the need for sworn police intervention through additional detection of trouble and confusion over their role.”

“Off-loading does not work,” said East Haven (Connecticut) Patch reader Robert.

Long Island (New York) Patch reader Christine said that if communities can come up with the money to pay private security officers, they can pay to hire more officers.

“I personally think that private security is the answer,” said Laura, the Connecticut Patch reader. “I live in a condominium complex; even though we have three huge speed humps, they just blow right over them.”

If the cost per resident to hire private security was under $50, “I would be willing to help on cost,” Laura said.

Some models exist for that exist. For example, in Oakland, California, more than 600 households pay $20 a month for unarmed private security officers to patrol the neighborhood streets 12 hours a day, Monday through Saturday, according to Police Chief Magazine.

‘Make It About Protecting Children’

An East Haven (Connecticut) Patch reader doesn’t think hiring private security companies to patrol for speeding is a bad idea, but said the money to pay them shouldn’t come from already underfunded police departments.

“There should be other funds allocated for this from a different part of the budget,” the reader said.

Instead, the person continued, invest in road improvements such as speed bumps and install speed cameras — automated devices using radar that detect and photograph vehicles exceeding the speed limit. Images are then used to issue a traffic ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Make those bulkier portable speed bumps, said Bedford (New Hampshire) Patch reader Richard. “They force vehicles to slow down to not ruin their vehicle,” he said.

“Communities need to be willing to support and train patrol officers and be involved and engaged in recognizing, analyzing and solving problems like this,” said Clark-Garwood (New Jersey) Patch reader Robin.

“Part of this problem is mental health. Too many people aren’t driving normally or responsibly since the pandemic, at least not in our area. They drive emotionally,” Robin said. “All police officers should get crisis intervention training as part of their basic training. Patch reader Terry said there is no “short-term fix” for the problem, but that public service announcements on traditional and social media can help spread awareness.

“Make it about protecting our children and our neighbors,” Terry said.

“Support law enforcement and pay them a decent salary so that they won’t have recruitment issues,” said Smithtown (New York) Patch reader C. “This all stems from the ‘defund the police’ garbage rhetoric that was spewed over the last five years. Not many people are willing to do that job anymore when there’s so much risk involved and knowing you won’t be backed up if something goes not as planned.”

Some Trickery Is OK

Robert, the Summit Patch reader, said the problem isn’t as simple as reduced police staffing. Some hardening of the neighborhood against speeders may also be an illusion.

“Speeders exist with or without patrols,” Robert said. “The answer may be other measures, such as speed cameras, speed bumps. Unmanned police vehicles and phantom radar projectors.”

San Francisco Patch reader Pam is OK with some degree of trickery, too.

“Install speed detection/warning devices and/or periodically park ‘fake’ police cars to simulate a speed trap in critical areas,” Pam said. “Granted, these are old-school methods, but I’ve seen them work.

“More importantly, install as many speed cameras as possible, and move them around every few weeks,” she continued. “Use the speeding ticket revenue to buy more cameras and/or hire police department traffic control officers.”

Pam thinks discouraging speeding may come ultimately down to technology.

She expects cars of the future to have a built-in transponder — that is, an electronic device that transmits and receives radio signals — that if read at regular intervals can calculate if a driver has been speeding and automatically issue a ticket.

Some insurance companies use transponders to track driver behavior and potentially offer discounts for safe driving habits. The technology is used in various other applications, including aircraft identification, electronic toll collection and vehicle security systems.

“Technology!” said George, a Commack (New York) Patch reader. “Set up speed cameras that are movable at locations throughout the town. Increase the fines for speeding, including confiscation of the vehicle after three occurrences.”

East Meadow (New York) Patch reader Barbara thinks speed cameras should be installed at every neighborhood school.

“Drivers speeding through school zones is a disgrace,” Barbara said.

‘Let Us Speed’

Speeding isn’t the problem, Syosett (New York) Patch reader Grif said.

“The overwhelming majority of people speed above posted speed limits. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe,” said Grif, who thinks more speed-related accidents occur because of “a disparity of vehicle speeds: people going too slow in the left (passing) lane, compelling hasty drivers to tailgate, or have to swerve and make sudden moves to go around them.”

“Get the slow pokes out of the left lane, and you can eliminate much of the ‘aggression’ on the road,” Grif said.

Huntington (New York) Patch reader Casey agrees.

“Let us speed,” said Casey, who thinks Americans already have “too much regulation” foisted on their lives.

“There are young, and also intoxicated, drivers going fast. But there are sober, mature age drivers and those that have had the training to go faster,” Casey said.

Laws Should ‘Really Sting Offenders’

Oak Creek (Wisconsin) Patch reader Ronald said residents of neighborhoods should be willing to step up to make them safer.

“Use your smartphone, take a picture and file a complaint with your local police. Take a 10-second movie clip to document the speed of the driver,” Ronald said, adding, “The only problem with this is you may have to go to court to press charges.”

Joliet (Illinois) Patch reader Greg is down with that. “I would be willing to take pictures of violators, if I knew that something would be done about it,” Greg said.

Neighborhood watch groups can help, said Dallas-Hiram (Georgia) Patch reader Carol. “Take the tag number and report it to police,” Carol said.

The solution is a simple, according to Patch reader Victim, who claims to “live in fear.”

When motorists are stopped for speeding, cars should be immediately impounded and returned only upon the payment of a $600 fine, with the fine doubling for each new offense.

“This would work, but it is not something on the agenda of our crooked non-caring, so-called politicians that insist on the status quo, which maintains a certain level of comfort for them, which in itself is where all our laws that do not work come from,” said Victim. “Where is the law that truly stings offenders enough to persuade them to not speed? It doesn’t exist.”

About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you’d like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.

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