While tuition and enrollment have increased, one thing that has not followed the upward trend at Iowa State is the number of speeding tickets.

The number of traffic citations issued by the Department of Public Safety from January to September 2000 was nearly 37 percent less than in 1999, according to the most recent figures available.

Traffic citations can be issued for violations such as speeding, stop sign or signal violations, safety restraints, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

DPS data shows 391 fewer traffic citations were written from January to September 2000 than in the same months in 1999.

In sync with the overall decline in traffic citations, data shows fewer speeding citations were written in 2000 than in 1999.

In 1999, 343 of the 1,048 traffic citations were written for speeding, compared to the 167 of 657 in 2000 for the same nine-month period.

All of these tickets can accrue pretty hefty fines.

The fine for going 10 miles over the speed limit in a 55 mph or less zone is $20. Add on the 30 percent surcharge and the court cost, however, and the total is $41. Speed up to 20 miles over the limit and pay $67.

Steve Oakland, DPS patrol officer, said he was not aware of the significant decrease in the number of citations from 1999 to 2000.

“I know they do run in trends, but I can’t explain it,” he said.

Oakland said many factors play a part in the year-to-year differences, such as the age of officers.

Younger police officers spend more time doing traffic enforcement than do senior officers who work during the day and take care of different business, Oakland said.

“Younger officers tend to write more citations,” as opposed to warnings, he said.

Oakland said the officers use it as a learning process because they write the ticket and appear in court. They get to see how the system works if they issue a citation.

After 28 years as a patrol officer, Oakland said he is “more lenient.”

“I’ve gone months without writing a citation,” he said.

Oakland said not only do new officers write more tickets than warnings for speeding, they are more likely, in general, to stop someone for a traffic violation because they often work the 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. shift, when traffic is heavier because people are leaving work and school.

Police officers also gave fewer warnings to speeders in the first nine months of 2000 – 355 compared to the 434 in the first nine months of 1999.

Overall, Oakland said, it is up to the officer’s discretion whether to issue a warning or a citation if, indeed, a person is speeding.

“The biggest thing is officer discretion,” he said.

“Some officers don’t believe in giving warnings. I believe anybody can make a mistake once.”

Oakland also said safety is a big factor in an officer’s decision whether to give a ticket or a warning. He said he tends to write more citations in areas where a lot of accidents occur.

“It depends, too, upon the amount of traffic,” he said.

More people on the road means a better chance of an accident if some of them are speeding.

Complaints from citizens are also important in monitoring speeding violation areas, said DPS Patrol Officer Mervin Johnston.

For example, Johnston said the department gets a lot of complaints from pedestrians because they can’t cross Pammel Drive on campus.

He said the four-lane road is a problem because drivers aren’t cautious of the speed limit and pedestrians in the area.

“It’s not uncommon for someone to be doing 40 miles an hour in a 25 [mph] zone,” Johnston said. “Radar is used to confirm our observation. Radar itself is not a reason to stop somebody.”

For some drivers, getting a speeding ticket will not teach a person to stop speeding.

“Some of them have five or 10 citations on their record,” Johnston said.