MSHP flies plane to crack down on speeding in construction zones
Keriana Gamboa
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s aircraft division is patrolling above drivers on Interstate 70 construction zones, aiming to encourage motorists to slow down.
Sgt. Kyle Green, of MSHP’s Troop F, told ABC 17 News the patrol will conduct these operations periodically on various highways across the state. The primary goal is traffic enforcement, specifically targeting speeding, along with other potential violations.
Tuesday was the first day it was used in an area of I-70 near a construction zone between Columbia and Callaway County. Seven speeding citations were handed out. The highest speed clocked was 84 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone.
“So, it’s an extremely effective option that we have for traffic enforcement. It’s not something that we use all the time, but we try to use it fairly frequently because of just how effective it is,” Green said.
The patrol uses painted blocks on the highway — spaced 660 feet apart — to measure a driver’s speed from the air, according to Green. An officer in the plane times how long it takes a vehicle to travel between the blocks, then uses a chart to determine its speed.
The plane follows the vehicle until a trooper on the ground stationed outside the construction zone can make the stop. The process is then repeated, making it an effective tool for catching speeders. Green told ABC 17 News they are usually only out for one or two hours, with Tuesday’s session lasting between 80-90 minutes.
Green said he is hoping it will make a difference in the high construction area.
“Hopefully, this will also be another deterrent to get people to slow down, to realize, hey, I may not see a trooper on the road right through here, but there could be one in the air,” Green said.
He said drivers shouldn’t expect to know when the next operation will take place.
“We’re not going to announce when we do it again. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a week. It could be it right now,” Green said.
Green says he’s seen a positive response from the public on social media.
Drivers in the area tell ABC 17 News there gonna be more cautious.
“Knowing that makes me feel like I’ll drive the speed a little more, certainly,” Alex Brooks said.
“I will continue to drive the speed limit, and usually if I’m going to drive faster, about five miles per hour,” Rodney Stone said.
Highway Patrol records show 14 crashes have occurred this year on I-70 between the Boone/Callaway County line and Kingdom City, injuring 23 people.