OFF THE WIRE
http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/x371607502/Traffic-fatalities-on-the-decline
Traffic fatalities on the decline
Cheeto Barrera Rescue crews work to free the victim of a car accident along Inyokern Road last August. Though serious, no one died in the wreck. Overall, traffic fatalities are down over the past few years for the Eastern Kern area.
By John V. Ciani Daily Independent Posted Jul 23, 2011 @ 10:30 AM
Ridgecrest, Calif. — Like the rest of the state of California, traffic fatalities in the California Highway Patrol’s Mojave response area, which includes the Indian Wells and Searles valleys, have declined. According to CHP statistics, fatalities in the Mojave response area from 2005-10 decreased from 27 in 2005 to eight last year. There have been six fatalities so far in 2011. The highest total during that period was 29 in 2007. Ridgecrest Police Sgt. Mike Myers said there have been two fatalities in the city in 2010 and two so far this year. CHP Mojave Outreach Officer Ed Smith said a combination of factors contributed to this reduction in fatalities. “There is certainly an economic factor in this equation,” he said. “As fuel prices increase, there is less traffic on the road. In addition to less traffic, the vehicles that are traveling, are traveling at a slower speed to conserve fuel, meaning fewer high-speed collisions.” Another factor is the increase in safety features found in newer vehicles. “From the perspective of law enforcement, statewide there have been education and enforcement efforts focused on the usage of seatbelts/child restraints, motorcycle safety, and the importance of having a designated driver,” Smith said. For the fifth consecutive year, California saw a decline in overall traffic deaths in 2010. According to federal government figures, total vehicle fatalities dropped 11.9 percent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010. Since the latest high of 4,333 in 2005, the 2010 figures show a total decline of 37.3 percent. California continues with double-digit percentage decreases even as the nation shows signs of leveling, with some states showing increases. Early national estimates show an overall decline of approximately 3 percent. “California and its people can be proud of these gains,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy in a press release. “A tremendous effort has been put forth by traffic safety organizations, but in the end, it’s the motoring public that made the difference. They are the ones who need to keep this momentum going.” The 2010 figures are the lowest for the state since 1944, when one-tenth the number of vehicles traveled one-sixteenth the number of miles. While the economy has some effect, officials also point to high visibility enforcement, sobriety checkpoints, multiple public awareness campaigns, safer car construction, better road design, and faster emergency medical services as factors. “Well-managed traffic safety campaigns by law enforcement throughout the state targeting dangerous driver behavior is a factor in the continued reduction of traffic-related deaths and injuries,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Through the behavioral changes of the motoring public, like buckling up, designating a non-drinking driver and eliminating distractions, progress is made daily resulting in lives saved.” Under a shared vision of Toward Zero Deaths – Every 1 Counts, state and local agencies and organizations have been developing and implementing the California Strategic Highway Safety Plan since 2006. OTS, CHP, California Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration, county and local governments, as well as individuals and community organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have been actively pursuing work on over 150 specific actions contained within the plan. So that 2012 will continue the gains, the Office of Traffic Safety today announced $76 million from federal funding to support 213 traffic-safety grants to state and local agencies for the grant year that begins Oct. 1. The new grants are a combination of time-tested, successful programs and emerging efforts, some tackling new problems. Major emphasis will be given to combating drunk driving with sobriety checkpoints, help for special DUI prosecutors, and targeted probation department staffing and warrant enforcement in efforts directed at the worst of the worst drunk driving offenders. There will be an expansion of educational and awareness programs for youth like Every 15 Minutes, Impact Teen Drivers, Real DUI Trials in Schools, Smart Start, and other programs for high school students just starting their driving careers. A new peer-to-peer project, Teens in the Driver’s Seat, will be launched in communities and schools throughout the state. Two new areas, distracted driving and drugged driving, are seeing increases and will receive special emphasis. The distracted-driving effort began in April and will expand next year. The incidence of drugs alone and in combination with alcohol in fatal crashes has been rising steadily for the last five years. New grants will fund increases in drug recognition training, special district attorneys dedicated to drugged driving cases, and new laboratory drug testing equipment. Wanting to keep the trend of fatalities in every major category moving downward, grants have been awarded in the other program areas of motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian safety, putting the latest life saving technology in the hands of emergency responders, and continuing to push for using technology to ease access, gain speed and increase flexibility in data input and usage. “The drop in fatalities that we have seen in the last five years means that thousands of Californians are with their families today instead of being a traffic statistic,” said Murphy. “But we cannot let up. There are still thousands whose needless tragedies should have been prevented.” For a list of 2012 grants, visit the OTS website at http://www.ots.ca.gov/.
