Reduced Speed Ahead: Sand Springs Works To Lower Crashes

Drivers need to slow down as they go through a part of Sand Springs.

The speed limit was reduced on a stretch of 41st Street near Highway 97 to accommodate the rise in development and reduce the number of crashes.

The speed limit on 41st Street used to be 50 miles per hour, but now it's 40.

10/9/2017 Related Story: Sand Springs Police Ask Drivers To Slow Near New Housing Division

The police department hopes this will prevent drivers from speeding, but some residents say it could take awhile for drivers to tape the breaks.

"We've had it as 50 for so long that it's going to be hard to break that habit," said resident Jamie Conrad.

Conrad works at the Hillspring Church and said she has seen a lot of crashes on 41st Street.  

"There's been quite a few but most of them are just high speed or rear ending somebody because they haven't had time to stop," Conrad said.

Conrad said parents frequently talk about how difficult it is to pull out onto the road when dropping their kids off for daycare because of low visibility.

"You never really know how much time you have," she said.

"Before 41st was a four-lane road there wasn't anything out here," said Sand Springs Police Captain Todd Enzbrenner.

Enzbrenner said several businesses and neighborhoods relocated to this stretch of 41st street. 

Most of the deadly crashes happened at the 41st and Highway 97 corridors over the last decade.

"You know when you have a 50 mph speed limit most people are going to go 60 and if you have a 60 mph speed limit they're going to go 70 and that's too fast out here," Enzbrenner said.

However, because people are used to the faster speed limit, it may take awhile for drivers to slow down.

"I think maybe even just having the presence of a police officer or something just to remind us that you know it is a change and we need to pay  attention to that," Conrad said.

Police said they will continue to monitor the area just to make sure people are getting the message to slow down.