Utah Highway Patrol Troopers in Tooele County are teaming up with local police and sheriff's deputies in a speed enforcement campaign, which will run from now until September 30.

The campaign will allow officers to work overtime shifts, beefing up coverage in problem areas around the county. The Utah Highway Safety Office-sponsored campaign is being financed by a $50,000 federal grant.

"The way I look at speeding is it increases your reaction time, it increases the distance you have to stop, and it increases the risk of serious injuries," said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Bob Anderson. "The average vehicle on the roadway isn't designed for high-speed collisions. And metal deals with kinetic energy a lot better than your body does. When you are driving in excess you've just eliminated the safety measures in your car."

Tooele County, along with Salt Lake and Washington counties ranks highest in the state in 2006 among speed-related fatal accidents. Nationwide, the number of people killed in 2006 declined 2 percent to the lowest level in five years.

Still, despite law enforcement efforts to crack down on speeders, a speed-related accident occurs every 71 minutes in Utah.

In 2007, UHP Troopers in Tooele County cited 376 drivers for hitting speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.