City of Milwaukee launches anti-speeding campaign

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Reckless driving has long been a problem in Southeast Wisconsin. Hundreds of lives have been lost or radically changed because of it. On Monday, the city of Milwaukee launched a campaign to address the issue.

Maraiah Johnson, spokesperson for "Speeding - We Can Live Without It," reminisced on her brother and the memories they shared.

"He went through a skateboarding phase, a rapping phase, a wrestling phase – this is a baby photo that's how I remember him,” said Johnson.

But one average Saturday afternoon, everything changed.

“On Aug. 7, 2021, at 4:41 p.m., my life changed on a level that I never even expected. My brother was killed in a car crash on 60th and Hampton where a car was driving 120 mph down the street. The two cars racing slammed into my brother and my brother and his friend were killed on impact," Johnson recalled.

Johnson is not alone in her grieving.

"My girls struggle – I have two little girls, a nine and a 7-year-old, and they struggle. Uncle Jerrold was taken from them, and they're terrified of car accidents. I got into a small fender bender and my 9-year-old had a full panic attack,” said Johnson.

Now she is fighting to make a change in his name.

“I really hope my brother and sisters in Milwaukee understand that we need to change, we need to make these streets safer,” said Johnson.

In some form or another, we have all been impacted by reckless driving. The "Speeding - We Can Live Without It" campaign is meant to help combat the problem. On Monday, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, city leaders, and families personally impacted spoke about the community-focused campaign and shared how speeding has impacted their lives.

"Speeding is not just a traffic violation, it’s a community problem, and a community problem that affects each and every single one of us," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The campaign will be on dozens of buses and billboards to raise awareness and encourage people to slow down.

Mayor Johnson says 80 people died and more than 5,600 people were injured last year because of reckless driving. This year alone, 38 people have died from incidents involving speeding.

“These statistics aren’t just numbers, they represent dreams ended, families that were shattered. They represent communities, unfortunately, that were devastated," said Mayor Johnson.

He hopes this campaign will change the behavior of drivers and that it will bring awareness to their goal of zero traffic related deaths.