Lighting up mph

The streets of New Iberia do not yet feature the controversial speed vans and red light cameras used to curtail speeding in cities such as New Orleans and Lafayette.

But law enforcement officials say motorists here too frequently whiz through school zones and barrel down the city’s thoroughfares at rush hour, imperiling pedestrians and everyone on the road.

“I get complaints from all over the parish about speeding,” said Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal.

To encourage an occasional glance at the speedometer, the Sheriff’s Office has acquired two portable speed trailers that display and record speeds. An internal log tracks the time of day speeds are violated most frequently so deputies know when and where to write tickets, said Sgt. Ryan Turner, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

“The deputies are then able to compare that information with complaints they are receiving from the public,” Turner said in an e-mail. “The units aren’t going to replace officers but make motorists conscious of their present speed.”

Unlike the speed vans, the trailers do not photograph speeders, and no fines are sent through the mail. But once a trailer is moved from a location, “the public can expect to see a deputy in that area checking for speeders,” Turner said.

The trailers, which Ackal said cost about $11,000 each, were purchased with grants from the state Department of Transportation and Development’s Transportation Improvement Program.

Ackal said his deputies have written hundreds of tickets in Iberia Parish and have no intention of slacking off.

“A lot of the people who complain (about speeding) are the ones who end up getting pulled over,” the sheriff said.

Mike Andrus, owner of Ronnie’s Paint & Carpet Center on Lewis Street, said the speed trailer parked in front of his business reminding motorists of the 35 mph limit has “definitely been a deterrent.”

“You watch people coming along maybe doing 43 or 44, and all of a sudden they hit the brakes,” Andrus said. “I think people probably assume they’re getting ready to get a ticket mailed to them, kind of like the system in Lafayette.”

Still, there are those who seem unfazed by the speed machines. Andrus said he occasionally sees motorists passing at 50 mph.

But the highest speed Andrus has seen was registered when a sheriff’s deputy responded to an emergency call on Twenty Arpent Road. The deputy was exceeding the speed limit by almost 30 miles per hour, but at least the vehicle had its emergency lights on, Andrus quipped.