PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Traffic safety data for 1994 confirmed that Oxnard, California had the highest number of alcohol-involved fatal and injury motor vehicle crashes among 39 other cities of similar size. It's neighboring city, Port Hueneme ranked 30th out of 98 cities in its size category for alcohol-involved crashes. Both cities ranked poorly in overall traffic safety. In 1995, the cities averaged more than 27 alcohol-related fatal and injury traffic crashes per month, and almost 300 total fatal and injury crashes per month.

Oxnard instituted a roadside sobriety checkpoint program focusing on impaired driving enforcement in 1995, and was successful in reducing the alcohol-involved crash rate by 35 percent in 1996. However, Oxnard police officials recognized that the checkpoints did not provide a permanent solution to impaired driving in the community, and that the DUI problems were not confined to the city limits. As a result, a joint regional effort was launched in 1997 by Oxnard and Port Hueneme incorporating training, education and public policy changes.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of the Oxnard Police Department Regional Roadside Sobriety Checkpoint Program is to reduce the number of alcohol- and speed-related motor vehicle crashes and increase the overall level of traffic safety in Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Specific objectives of this program are to:

• Decrease alcohol-related fatal and injury traffic crashes by 29 percent (from 109 in 1996, to 76 in 1998)
• Reduce speed-related fatal and injury traffic crashes by 15 percent (from 272 in 1996, to 231 in 1998)
• Increase the regional seat belt use rate by 5 percent (from 81 percent in 1996, to 86 percent in 1998), and child safety seat use by 10 percent (from 72 percent in 1996, to 82 percent in 1998)
• Increase the regional bicycle helmet use rate for children under 18 years of age by 10 percent (from 29 percent in 1996 to 39 percent in 1998)

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Oxnard and Port Hueneme Police Departments launched the program by providing updated DUI training to 172 officers, and training in the use of the preliminary breath testing device to an additional 127 officers. A variety of promotional items including key rings, badges, bumper stickers, posters, pens and pencils, t-shirts and hats were developed for distribution at sobriety checkpoints, community traffic safety presentations, press conferences and other public events. The two police departments organized and implemented 48 driver's license and sobriety checkpoints in 1997 and 1998, at which officers distributed traffic safety educational and promotional materials to motorists. Traffic officers also provided traffic safety presentations at local elementary schools. Additional traffic safety messages were delivered to the community via newsletters and a televised StreetBeat program.

RESULTS
Through the efforts of the Oxnard and Port Hueneme Police Departments, the following results were achieved by the Roadside Sobriety Checkpoint Program:

• Alcohol involved fatal and injury traffic crashes in the region decreased by 45 percent (from 109 in 1996, to 60 in 1998), and total fatal and injury crashes were reduced by 4.6 percent (from 1,185 in 1996, to 1130 in 1998)
• Seat belt use increased by 9 percent (from 81 percent in 1996, to 90 percent in 1998), and child safety seat use increased 13 percent fro 72 percent in 1996, to 85 percent in 1998)
• DUI arrests increased by 20 percent, from 941 to 1,135
• Issuance of speed citations increased 182 percent, from 1,825 to 5,158
• Bicycle helmet use increased 39 percent (from 29 percent to 68 percent)

SUMMER 1999