Kaitlyn Cuevas and Leigha Hougland, who are seniors at Salisbury High, participated in a ride-along April 3 with Salisbury Police Officer Andy Efird during the No Need 2 Speed campaign. The initiative, which is part of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, took place from March 31 to April 6. Cruising around Salisbury in the front seat of a cop car for the first time was not a typical, everyday experience.
I observed Officer Andy Efird as he typed on his laptop, beeped fellow officers on his mobile radio, set his speed detector and somehow managed to educate me about the No Need 2 Speed campaign in Rowan County.
Incorporating the Salisbury, Rockwell, Granite Quarry and China Grove police departments, the No Need 2 Speed program has made a great impact on the elimination of speeders on the roads of Rowan County. Officer Efird emphasized the importance of letting citizens know that policemen are out on the streets at all times.
Although I didn’t experience a cop-car chase, a drug bust or the capture of a loose criminal, I did get to see the No Need 2 Speed program in full force when Officer Efrid pulled over one lone speeder during my brief cop-car ride. After I watched the SUV zoom past us and heard the speed detector beep, I knew Officer Efird was going to go in for the kill.
The woman who was pulled explained that she just got in too much of a hurry ó which is something I and most drivers can relate to. Luckily, she left the scene with just a warning ticket for going 56 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.
Rushing around is something I find myself and my friends doing on a daily basis. Whether it’s hurrying to school before the tardy bell rings or making it to soccer practice on time, I am usually in a hurry. So when Officer Efird pulled the woman for speeding, I made a mental note of the whole experience.
During the week-long program which ended April 6, a total of 31,928 criminal and traffic citations were issued statewide in an effort to promote safety awareness. Just on the day I tagged along with Officer Efrid, a total of 58 speeding charges, four no-license charges, one revoked license charge, two expired registration charges, one inspection charge and three other charges were all issued.
Thankfully, I and most of my friends have gone these past couple years without any tickets and wrecks. In my case, I’m too scared to speed out of fear of getting my car taken away. As my parents explain to me at least twice a month, the insurance is way too expensive, so speeding or any other type of ticket means no car.
In addition to the woman getting pulled on Jake Alexander Boulevard during my cop-car ride, one of my friends suffered the same ordeal a year or two ago. However, instead of just getting a warning, she received a big speeding ticket for going 20 miles per hour over the limit.
My overall experience riding in the police car was very enlightening and made me realize how important traffic rules and regulations are. Seeing just one woman pulled over reminded me of how easy it is to speed and lose focus.
Even my dad, who is a very safe and experienced driver, made the mistake of running a stop sign a few years ago and received a ticket. He likes to bring that story up to remind me of how easy it is to lose focus when driving.
Seeing the No Need 2 Speed campaign at work from a firsthand experience made me become more aware and will stay with me as a reminder for as long as I can drive.
Kaitlyn Cuevas, a senior at Salisbury High, is an intern for the Post.