IOWA, USA — Iowa State Troopers hear excuses every day for why drivers were caught speeding, but it's tough to justify driving over 100 miles per hour.
More drivers were caught doing just that in 2020 than in the previous two years combined.
"There's no rhyme or reason whether this is an interstate problem," said Sergeant Alex Dinkla. "It is the entire state of Iowa."
According to records from the Iowa State Patrol, 1,497 citations were handed out to drivers caught going 100 miles per hour or faster in 2020.
That's more than in 2018 and 2019 combined.
Citations hit the triple digits in March 2020 when Iowa shut down due to COVID-19 and didn't drop below 100 until December.
While July was the month with most citations, May was the month with the top speed, according to reports from the Iowa State Patrol. A driver was cited for driving 155 miles per hour. July and September tied for second with 148 miles per hour.
Local 5 covered the increase in speeding tickets back in July
To address this problem, Iowa State Patrol is creating a new speeding task force where troopers will dedicate six days this year to tracking down and catching speeders.
"This is not something we want to see on our roadways," said Dinkla. "If you drive at these types of speeds and you crash, there are some life-altering consequences that you will have to deal with."
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