FactFinder: KHP ride-along captures state’s struggle to curb excessive speeding

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Kansas lawmakers are still discussing different options for what legislation would be the most effective in slowing down drivers caught going 100 miles an hour and higher.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is seeing a high number of drivers going in the triple digits down highways and interstates as thousands of tickets are being written each year just within state lines. 12 News spent a day with KHP during a ride along to get a first-hand look at what the troopers see each day on the roadways.

Within an hour of the ride along with Capt. Travis Phillips at Troop D, two drivers were pulled over going over 90 mph along I-70 in northwest Kansas.

“If you stop the 90 miles per hour drivers, that’s what you’ll be doing all day long, but then you will miss those going 105 or 110,” said Capt. Phillips.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said frustration is growing among law enforcement with the number of speeders they are having to pull over and the statistics back it up. A decade ago in 2014, the KHP wrote 1,399 tickets for drivers going over 100 mph, but that number spiked to more than 3,000 in each of the last three years. The highest number came in 2021 when 3,309 tickets were handed out by the KHP alone.

“I have never seen the magnitude of the people willing to drive this reckless in my entire career,” said Capt. Phillips.

The KHP shared statistics that show half of the extreme speeding tickets being handed out are in Troop D’s section in the northwest part of Kansas in the six counties that I-70 runs through. However, the problem is not isolated to just one corner of Kansas. Troopers across the state are seeing an increase in drivers going triple digits. This includes a ticket written in Harvey County where one motorist was caught going 150 mph in a 55 mph speed zone. Capt. Phillips said the drastic increase is prompting them to push lawmakers to reexamine the punishment for speeding.

“It is dangerous out there, and we need to address it,” said State Representative Shannon Francis.

Rep. Francis is the House Chairman for the Committee on Transportation. Several bills have been introduced in the house and senate, and each of them would have increased the penalties for 100 mph drivers. However, none of the bills reached the point where they could be signed into law. Francis said while most lawmakers agree that change is needed, there is a difference in opinion over what legislation is the best solution.

“I think something we are all struggling with is what is the best way to do it,” said Rep. Francis. “The bill in the senate this year dealt with restricted licenses, and I think maybe that is part of the solution.”

In February, the KHP testified in support of Senate Bill 476 that aimed to restrict and even suspend the licenses for drivers caught going over 100 mph after a specific amount of tickets. However, while Capt. Phillips is in support of any legislation to slow drivers down, he doesn’t believe restricting or suspending licenses will curve down the recent trend since the most common co violation the KHP sees with speeding tickets is an invalid license.

Instead, Capt. Phillips believes the reckless driving statute should include any driver going over 100 mph. He also wants to see the current fine of $258 doubled for drivers caught going that fast.

“I think if you’re going over 100 miles per hour, you should expect our fine to be a lot higher than what it is,” said Capt. Phillips.

That idea has also been presented to lawmakers, but Rep. Francis said fines that are too high also raises concerns.

“The highest violations really happen in that 19 to 22 year old male cohort, so how do we address the fact when they don’t pay the fine because they can’t? questioned Francis. “That doesn’t excuse the fines, but if we get them in the 600 to 700 dollar range, it increases a problem, and then you have more drivers out there without a license.”

Rep. Francis said with several options being discussed, he is considering calling an interim committee later in the year so more lawmakers, outside of the transportation committee, can share what they believe is the best course of action moving forward.

12 News asked Capt. Phillips what the impacts could be if new legislation is not passed. He believes the trend of speeding drivers will continue and fears that one day the KHP could pull over 4,000 drivers going over 100 mph in one year.

If lawmakers do call for an interim committee, a bill would not be able to become law during those discussions. However, the goal would be for lawmakers to get on the same page for what penalties would be the most effective as a new bill is expected to be introduced during next year’s legislative session.

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