The Honolulu Police Department's anti-speeding task force was definitely needed.

In just three weeks, the 100 officers assigned to the crackdown issued 2,696 tickets to O'ahu speeders. Another 1,072 tickets were issued for other traffic offenses.

Clearly, intervention was long overdue.

As of the beginning of the week, there were 87 traffic fatalities on O'ahu for the year, with half involving speeding drivers. In comparison, there were 56 speeding-related deaths in 2004. Statewide over the past two decades, more than 1,000 people have died in speeding accidents.

There is a planned cutback to the task force in January, but given the grim statistics, making the group a permanent part of our roadway enforcement deserves consideration. The campaign to curb speeding-related accidents and deaths has shown how many reckless drivers are out there, but to truly make a difference, the task force must become a part of everyday life on the road.

It's the best hope to get drivers to act more responsibly behind the wheel.

"You never know what you really prevent," said Maj. Susan Dowsett, head of HPD's Traffic Investigations Branch. "We really want people to slow down."

It remains unclear just how much of a deterrent these tickets are, which is why the practice must be sustained to see if it truly curbs speeding.

In years past, the idea of a highway task force, with funding for dozens of officers and equipment at a cost that ran into the tens of millions of dollars, has been floated in the Legislature. It's time to consider a cost-effective version of that plan, with HPD leading the effort.

In the meantime, we all can do more to help in overall traffic safety: Pedestrians can be more conscientious at troubled crosswalks; drivers can be alert and slow down; engineers can design better on- and offramps.

It will take a community effort — and a dedicated task force — to save lives.