Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, and members of the Committee. My name is Tom Chapman. I have the honor of serving as the 46th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Senate Bill 415, providing for automatic speed enforcement, often referred to as “ASE.” This legislation would allow governmental entities in Nevada to use ASE as an important countermeasure to reduce speeding-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries.
In 2017, the NTSB published a safety study titled, Reducing Speeding-Related Crashes Involving Passenger Vehicles. Our 2017 safety study included a recommendation to several states, including Nevada, to amend their current laws to remove operational and location restrictions on automatic speed enforcement.
ASE pairs the use of vehicle speed detection and cameras to automatically identify speeding vehicles. These systems can operate 24 hours a day and in areas where traditional patrol by officers might be difficult or impractical, allowing for continuous speed limit enforcement. ASE is most effective in locations where data shows a history of high speeding-related crash rates.
The presence of ASE is shown to have a general deterrent effect, leading to a reduction in speeding violations and crashes. Studies have repeatedly found that ASE reduces crashes in locations where it is used. A 2007 review by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that crashes resulting in injuries at fixed ASE locations declined between 20 and 25% after implementation. When drivers believe that existing traffic laws are being actively enforced, they will modify their behavior.
At least 24 states and the District of Columbia authorize speed cameras in some capacity, including most of the states near or neighboring Nevada. Many other countries have long used ASE technologies with positive results – Australia and New Zealand, for example, which have extensive roadway systems much like the U.S.
In 2022, there were a staggering 12,151 speeding-related fatalities in the U.S., representing 29% of all traffic fatalities. The State of Nevada alone lost 105 lives to speeding-related crashes in 2022.
I have seen firsthand the tragic results which result from excessive speed.
NTSB investigated a horrifying crash in North Las Vegas, Nevada. That crash occurred in January of 2022 and resulted in nine fatalities. Seven of those who lost their lives were from one family, including several children.
As a Board member, I launched with our investigators to the scene of the North Las Vegas tragedy. The experience deeply affected me. The speeding Dodge Challenger involved in that crash was traveling at a recorded speed of 103 mph in a 35-mph zone. It entered a busy intersection against a red traffic signal, with devastating results.
The number of crashes and deaths involving speeding remains stubbornly high, and ASE is one of the best tools Nevada can use to reduce these crashes.
Because we know it works, we at the NTSB strongly support legislation that will authorize and expand the use of automatic speed enforcement technologies.
That concludes my statement on behalf of the National Transportation Safety Board. I am happy to take your questions.
