Raleigh police cite speeders on I-40

“We want people to slow down and make it home safely from the holiday weekend. When they're coming through Raleigh, we want them to understand that we're going to enforce the speed limit,” Sgt. Kevin Carswell said.

Instead of running radar from a patrol car on the side of the highway, police used a hand-held device from the Lake Wheeler overpass. As speeders were spotted, an officer radioed the speeds and vehicle descriptions to patrol cars waiting at the on-ramp to make the stops.

Carswell said the system prevents officers from making U-turns and then speeding to catch up to drivers.

“Our officers come down off the ramp, merge in behind the car and pull it over. It's safer for the public. It's safer for us,” Carswell said.

During the campaign, 66 traffic stops yielded 80 citations, including one person charged with having a concealed weapon without a permit and another person charged with an open container violation.

Speed is the leading cause of wrecks on interstates, according to the state Highway Patrol. Raleigh police hope Monday's crackdown deters speeders and keeps the roads safer.

“We saw four to five people pulled over in less than a mile. So that definitely slowed us down a little bit,” drive Julia Holloway said.

“If you go the speed limit you don't have to worry about it (a ticket),” driver Larry Bohannon said.

If you see someone driving dangerous fast, you can call the Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47) on cell phones from anywhere in the state.