Davenport police attempt to curb speedy drivers ahead of school year

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Dozens of school districts on both sides of the river went back to school Wednesday. To help kids stay safe, Davenport police conducted speed enforcement in the school zone by Madison Elementary School off Brady and Locust.

Police want to remind drivers that the speed limit is 25 miles per hour from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days. To clock each driver’s speed, the Davenport Police Department says they commonly use a system that allows them to point a laser at the bumper of a vehicle, giving them the speed and the distance the vehicle is from them.

By 8:15 a.m. Monday, Davenport officers said they made at least six traffic stops in the area. With some kids going to school for the first time, officers say they aren’t always looking for oncoming traffic.

“It’s your job as a driver to make sure that you’re paying attention to the speed limit, because we want you to slow down because if that kid darts in front of you, I want you to be able to stop so we don’t have to take a call about somebody getting hit by a car,” said Pete Owen, officer for Davenport Police Department.

Owen says the most areas they get complaints from is on Brady Street at Locust, West 53rd Street by Harrison Elementary School and the area of North Highschool.

Speeding is a constant issue throughout the school year but the department says they usually see numbers go down. To avoid rushing to school in the morning, officer Owen says on thing people can do is wake up earlier to get on the road.

If caught speeding 11 miles or more over the speed limit, the Davenport Police Department says drivers could pay a ticket upwards of $170.

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