JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SIMI VALLEY 500—CHP is reporting many drivers have caught a case of lead foot on the eastbound 118 Freeway since a new lane was added in March. In response, they've stepped up enforcement. Finally freed from years of gridlock, drivers are enjoying the additional lane of traffic on the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR 118)—a little too much, it seems.

California Highway Patrol officers are reporting a significant increase in the number of speeding motorists they've picked up along the four-mile stretch of freeway between Tapo Street and Kuehner Drive, where a fourth lane was completed in March.

Before Caltrans constructed the extra lane, commuters were accustomed to slow-moving, stop-and-go traffic, said Capt. Cliff Williams, who works out of the CHP's Moorpark office.

"(The widening) has resulted in a significant number of drivers putting the pedal to the metal, so to speak, and speeding upwards close to 100 miles per hour," he said.

Before the additional lane was opened in midMarch, officers were writing about 60 tickets during the morning commute times along that portion of the 118 Freeway. That number has tripled since March 17, Williams said.

"We are only touching the tip of the proverbial iceberg," the captain said. "For every speeder we get, there are hundreds more that are getting away with it."

In response, the CHP has bumped up enforcement to combat the problem. Williams said the Moorpark office had to deal with the same issue when the 23 Freeway widening was completed.

"That, too, became the Indy 500 of Southern California," he said. "But with steppedup enforcement and increased CHP presence, it brought that area under control."

Though most of the citations are being written for drivers going 80 mph or more, there have been some drivers caught going more than 100 mph on the Simi Valley thoroughfare.

CHP officers use LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to catch speeding drivers. Unlike radar—which scans a huge area and picks out the fastest-moving vehicle—LIDAR can focus in on a specific vehicle and instantly give the officer an accurate speed readout, Williams said.

According to Williams, speeding is the second-highest killer in eastern Ventura County. Driving under the influence is the No. 1 killer.

Slowing down can save drivers gas as well as money that would be spent on costly speeding tickets, but most importantly it can save lives, he said.

"We're not out there trying to make money for the city of Simi Valley," Williams said. "We're just trying to slow people down so we don't have to investigate fatalities."