Illinois police mark Speed Awareness Day on Wednesday

Police departments across the state are encouraging drivers to pay special attention Wednesday to how fast they're going as they mark Illinois Speed Awareness Day.

Illinois State Police District 15, which patrols the tollways, says it is taking a proactive approach to promote safety for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists through both education and enforcement. During 2014, speed was the reason for 32.4 percent of all traffic fatalities, or 348 deaths, according to state police.

The agency reports that the probability of death, disfigurement, or debilitating injury doubles for every 10 mph over 50 mph, and the effectiveness of restraint devices like air bags, safety belts, crumple zones, and side beams decline as impact speed increases.

Speeding also extends the distance required to stop a vehicle in emergency situations, reduces a driver's ability to navigate safely around curves or objects in the roadway, and can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds, state police say.