100 mph speeding issue rising at ‘alarming rates’ in Kansas

TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – State troopers are monitoring a steady rise in drivers traveling at dangerous speeds this year which pose a danger not just to themselves, but others on Kansas’ highways as well.

27 News got in touch with the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) to learn more about how many drivers are being caught traveling at speeds above and beyond 100 mph in 2024. Statistics obtained by 27 News show more than 1,500 people have been ticketed so far this year for blasting past the posted speed limit.

The issue is not unique to 2024, however. KHP records going back a decade show more motorists are being caught driving at unsafe speeds in the state with a large spike coming in the years after 2019.

• 2024 – 1,523 (Current as of July 26, 2024)
• 2023 – 3,080
• 2022 – 3,285
• 2021 – 3,309
• 2020 – 2,823
• 2019 – 1,758
• 2018 – 2,028
• 2017 – 2,218
• 2016 – 2,114
• 2015 – 1,837
• 2014 – 1,399
• 2013 – 1,049

KHP spokeswoman Candice Breshears said in a written response the fastest driver ticketed so far this year was for a person traveling at 151 mph in Saline County in February . The 36-year-old man, who was driving a 2011 BMW, received a nearly $1,000 fine for the violation.

“Excessive driving throughout Kansas and our nation continues at alarming rates,” Breshears said. “Drivers who exceed the maximum posted speed limit endanger their lives and the lives of all other motorists.”

Breshears told 27 News in a March interview that speeding continues to be a big problem for the state’s highways. The highway most prone to speeding violations is I-70 which stretches 424 miles across Kansas. Breshears did say it is not the only road in the state where KHP troopers are witnessing people travel at excessive speeds.

“Speeding presents a greater potential for the loss of vehicular control, particularly on wet or icy roads,” Breshears said. “Speeding reduces the effectiveness of occupant protection equipment, such as seatbelts and airbags, while also reducing the effectiveness of roadway safety measures, such as guardrails and median barriers. When one’s speed doubles, one’s stopping distance quadruples, making every increase in speed an exponentially more dangerous act.”

Drivers are only allowed to reach a top speed of 75 mph in Kansas, according to the KHP’s website . Excessive speeds can lead to injury and death not just for the driver but also for other motorists, pedestrians, workers and even KHP troopers.

“Speeding increases the degree of a crash’s severity,” Breshears said. “As more force comes into the crash equation, there are more likely to be injuries and death. Speeding also puts the lives of our law enforcement personnel in peril as they must oftentimes exceed the speed of the violator’s vehicle in order to initiate a traffic stop. We encourage the public to drive like their family is in every vehicle, so that everyone on the roadway can make it to and from their destinations safely.”

Breshears said current Kansas statutes do not allow for speed offenses to be considered an offense requiring arrest. Speeding violations, regardless of how fast a driver is moving, are considered an infraction and are regulated by the statutory fine schedule . These types of violations also do not qualify as reckless driving under state law.

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