With summer weather beckoning people to spend more time outdoors, Cranberry Township police are reminding drivers to be cautious and aware on the road through a two-week campaign.

The Slow Down campaign started Thursday, June 6, and encourages drivers to drive below speed limits of 25 mph by placing radar speed signs in neighborhoods and increasing police presence in those areas.

Lt. William Ahlgren, community relations officer, said township police have run the campaign for over 10 years and patterned it after a Nebraska-based initiative called “Keep Kids Alive — Drive 25.”

The department is strategic about when the campaign runs, Ahlgren said, posting speed signs for the two weeks after Seneca Valley School District’s school year ends.

“There are people coming home who weren’t previously out and about. Kids, bicyclists, walkers. We want to remind folks that everybody is out, and we want everyone to be safe,” he said. “Not only with school getting out, but the summer season is ramping up. People are traveling more than they were before.”

One way to remind people of the posted limit is by placing radar speed signs in participating neighborhoods. The four signs are moved every day, Ahlgren said, and display a vehicle’s speed as it approaches the sign.

“It counts vehicles; it will see if a vehicle slowed down, so we know that they’re working,” he said. “We can use the data later to see its effectiveness.”

The data collected from the signs can be referred to if a speeding complaint arises in that neighborhood, Ahlgren added, but not all drivers take the signs seriously.

“Some people just totally ignore it, unfortunately,” he said.

The campaign includes the efforts of local homeowner’s associations, who display signs in yards. Increased police presence in participating neighborhoods also serves as a reminder to slow down, Ahlgren said.

Ahlgren said he hopes the campaign will make an impact beyond its two-week run, as people often slip back into their old routines when the radar speed signs are gone.

“The big thing is to remind people to slow down, make sure you reach your destination safely. That extra miles per hour doesn’t do as much as you think,” he said.

Once the campaign ends its summer run, Ahlgren said it will restart the week of Aug. 22, to coincide with the first week of school.

“It’s a very important thing,” he said. “If we can save one life, it’s worth it.”

The campaign also overlaps with what AAA calls the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” a period from Memorial Day to Labor Day that where there is a sharp increase of fatal crashes involving teens.