PETAL, Miss. (WDAM) - Nearly a year has passed since the City of Petal changed the speed limits around the Evelyn Gandy Parkway.

Petal police shared statistics that they believe show the impact of those changes.

Back in Dec. 2024, the speed limit was lowered to 50 miles per hour at U.S. Highway 11, 45 miles per hour at Tyner Road and then back up to 50 miles per hour past the Petal High School to Sunrise Road.

PPD Chief Matthew Hiatt said officers issued 154 traffic citations in 2024.

So far, they’ve issued 117 citations in 2025.

Hiatt said the department is glad to see this decrease.

However, the issue of texting and driving still remains.

“Be courteous to others, respect others on the road, put your phone down,” Hiatt said. “I see a lot of that going on these days, and I think tha

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