Education and enforcement are being used on North Spring Street in an effort to curb speeding.

Placed Monday was a pole-mounted, radar speed sign that displays an oncoming vehicle’s speed. 

“This device displays a vehicle’s speed in order to make the driver more aware of how fast they are going,” said McMinnville Police officer Mark Mara. “The best thing about this device is it was at no cost to the city.”

The sign is a compact, simpler version of the department’s speed trailer. However, unlike the trailer which keeps a data log regarding the number of vehicles, the time, and their speed, the sign is predominantly being used like radar and displays a vehicle’s speed.

“We use the speed trailer to collect data when we receive complaints from the public regarding speeders,” said Mara. “That data can be used to create a plan of action, if it is determined that an issue exists. That plan of action could include increased enforcement, or education, or both.”

The speed trailer was placed on North Spring Street last week. As the department sorts through that data, the sign to display speed was placed this week. 

In 2021, McMinnville Police Department received three awards from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office: Law Enforcement Challenge Award, Impaired Driving Awareness Award, and Safety Fitting Station of the Year. Agencies were judged on their traffic safety efforts in 2020. 

“We entered the Law Enforcement Challenge, which was against other agencies our size across the state,” said Mara. “Because we received the Impaired Driving Awareness Award, our name went into a drawing for several items. We won the speed monitor and recently received it.” 

The pole-mounted, radar speed sign is currently located on a utility pole beside First Baptist Church and being used to alert inbound motorists. It’s near the site of a deadly accident where two people on a motorcycle were killed in late March.