Nearly 200 Richmond County motorists learned there is no need to speed during a recent enforcement campaign on county roads.

No Need 2 Speed, also known as Operation Slow Down, netted more than 15,700 speeding violations statewide and more than 61,700 traffic and criminal charges. In Richmond County, 433 traffic and criminal citations given out between March 29 to April 4. Of that, 183 were for speeding.

No Need 2 Speed is a campaign of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

“Speeding continues to be the leading cause of crashes,” GHSP Director David Weinstein said. “Since 2006, these campaign have helped make our highways safer and remind motorists to obey the speed limit throughout the state.”

In Richmond County, three checkpoints were set up during the two-week campaign, and there were seven of what the state calls “saturation patrols,” where patrols are stepped up in a certain area.

“This is a good program, and a good operation,” said Richmond County Sheriff Dale Furr. “We’re glad to be a part of it, and I believe it’s saving lives.”

The campaign yielded four DWI arrests in the county, as well as 35 seat belt tickets and 13 child safety seat violations, and one drug arrest and four other criminal violations.

There were also 15 for tickets issued for driving while license revoked, three violations of graduated driver’s license rules and 89 other traffic citations issued.

In addition, six uninsured motorists were ticketed and three motorists were ticketed for reckless driving.

On the GHSP Web site, a description of No Need 2 Speed explains speeding is the speeding is a major cause of accidents in the state.

“In 2005 alone, there 540 fatalities and more than 32,000 speed-related injuries on our roads,” the Web site reads.

GHSP kicked off the pilot project in 2006 in Robeson, Cumberland, Harnett and Johnston counties.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.