TOM: TONIGHT, WE INVESTIGATE
RECKLESS SPEEDING ON THE
CHESAPEAKE THEY BRIDGE TUNNEL.
ANITA: CRACKING DOWN ON SPEEDING
HAS THEN
BEEN ISSUED FOR YEARS.
RECKLESS DRIVING STOPS ARE UP
30% OVER LAST YEAR AND WE ARE
ONLY IN NOVEMBER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COURT
HEARING DATE
FOR THE BRIDGE
TUNNEL POLICE OFFICERS, YOU
CANNOT BELIEVE IT.
THESE THE LIMIT IS 55, AND LEAD
FOOT DRIVERS ARE WALKING TO
COURT.
THE 17-MILE CHESAPEAKE BAY
BRIDGE TUNNEL IN 17 SECONDS,
UNMATCHED BEAUTY.
TODAY CONSIDERED A RECKLESS
DRIVING SPEED.
THEY GET OUT HERE, ESPECIALLY
AT NIGHT, WHEN THERE IS NOT A
LOT OF TRAFFIC, WHEN THEY TEND
TO GET IN A HURRY.
132 MILES AN HOUR IS RIDICULOUS.
COURT DOCUMENTS SHOW ONE
PERSON WAS PULLED
GOING 132 IN A
55 ON THE BRIDGE TUNNEL.
I'VE MINUTES LATER, EIGHT MILES
DOWN THE ROAD, HOLD AGAIN BY
ANOTHER OFFICER CLOCKED GOING
85.
MOST OF THE TIME, YOU GO TO
COURT FOR THAT TYPE OF SPEED.
BETTER HAVE A TWO RUSH WITH
THEM.
WE WANT TO BE VISIBLE.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.
INCREASED POLICE VISIBILITY
TO DETER SPEEDERS, WHICH BRINGS
US TO MASTER POLICE OFFICER
MAURICE SMITH.
THEY SEE THE WATER, IT'S A
RICH.
THEY ARE LULLED INTO SPEEDING
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT THINK ANYONE
IS WATCHING THEM, ESPECIALLY AT
NIGHT.
GOT A GRAY NISSAN ALTIMA.
78 IN
A 55.
MORRIS CALLED AHEAD TO ANOTHER
OFFICER WHO PULLED OVER.
THEY ARE CITED WITH RECKLESS
DRIVING.
76 RECKLESS SPEEDING TICKETS
WERE -- LOOK AT THE MALL.
91 TO 99 MILES AN HOUR, EVEN
WHEN ONE OF WAR.
IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON DAY
OCCURRENCE OUT HERE.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS CAP
ARE
NOT SURE.
WE LOOKED FOR HOW MANY
SPEEDERS CLUBBED OVER 100 MILES
AN HOUR.
WE FOUND A BAD RECKLESS TREND.
SO FAR IN 2016, 17 STOPS OVER
100 MILES AN HOUR.
MIMOSA SURPRISING MOMENTS ARE
WHEN YOU STOP SOMEONE DRIVING.
LET'S IRONICALLY, AS WE WENT
THROUGH THESE 109 SPEEDING
VIOLATIONS, THERE WAS NOT ONE
CASE ATTACHED TO A DUI
.
THEY ARE NOT DRUNK, THEY'RE JUST
RECKLESSLY SPEEDING AND COMING
UP WITH EXCUSES.
RECKLESS SPEEDING IS NOT A NEW
CONCERN.
IN 2003, A GENERAL ASSEMBLY
REVIEW COMMISSION TOLD BRIDGE
TUNNEL OPERATORS THEY NEED TO
DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
RECKLESS DRIVING BY DOING THESE
THINGS, AND THEY HAVE REDUCED
CURRENT TOLERANCE TO SPEEDING BY
GIVING TICKETS EARLY AND OFTEN,
USE RADAR AND SPEED INDICATOR
SIGNS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
VISIBLE POLICE PATROLS.
YOU FEEL THAT BEING OUT HERE
JUST DRIVING INCREASES SAFETY ON
THE BRIDGE TUNNEL.
RIGHT.
20 OR MORE MILES OVER THE
SPEED LIMIT IS CAN IT AFFECT
US
DRIVING.
WE FOUND PLENTY OF THOSE IN THE
COURT DOCUMENTS.
THAT IS A CLASS ONE MISDEMEANOR
IN VIRGINIA, TO 12 MONTHS IN
JAIL, X MONTHS SUSPENDED LICENSE
AND SIX MONTHS ON YOUR LICENSE.
WE'RE TOLD IN VIRGINIA BEACH,
AND IF THERE IS ROOM COURT TO
COURT AND JUDGE TO JUDGE, JAIL
TIME USUALLY BEGINS TO BE