Motorists are getting a gentle reminder against speeding through residential neighborhoods and in school zones from McMinnville Police Department. The speed trailer has been popping up around town.
“On Monday, it was at Warren County Middle School,” said McMinnville Police Chief Bryan Denton on Tuesday. “It’s on Roosevelt Street today. We’re responding to a citizen’s complaint of speeding.”
The trailer is a regular visitor in school zones as a reminder to motorists, says Denton.
“As the school year winds down, people tend to get excited and drop their guard. We want to remind them to slow down,” he said.
Speed display trailers do not issue tickets. Instead, the trailer informs motorists what the speed limit is and digitally displays the speed of their vehicle. Objectives for using the trailer include reducing the speed, encouraging speed limit compliance, and increasing safety.
However, the trailer can be used to tell the department if there is a problem on a particular street by noting the time of day, how many vehicles passed, and the speed of each vehicle.
The speed trailer has been used as an education tool for the department since it was purchased in April 2010 for $5,000 using a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Office.
When located at schools, the device is activated during morning drop-off and evening pick-up.