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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Data
collected by the California Office of Traffic Safety in 1996, revealed
that the City of Santa Maria ranked first among 85 cities in its population
category for total fatal and injury traffic crashes and fourth out of
the 85 cities for alcohol-involved fatal and injury crashes. The city
also experienced a higher than average number of speed-related, hit
and run and bicycle traffic crashes. Santa Maria Police Department officials
agreed to address these alarming statistics by implementing a comprehensive
traffic safety program for presentation to schools and community groups.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1997, the Santa Maria
Police Department developed its Comprehensive/Community Traffic Safety
Program, envisioning a specific set of goals:
- To reduce the number
of alcohol-involved fatal and injury motor vehicle crashes by 49 percent
(from 33 in 1996, to 18 in 1998)
- To decrease speed-related
fatal and injury traffic crashes by 23 percent (from 115 in 1996,
to 88 in 1998)
- To reduce the total number
fatal and injury crashes by 20 percent (from 440 in 1996 to 349 in
1998), and hit and run crashes by 28 percent (from 23 in 1996, to
17 in 1998)
- To increase seat belt
use by 15 percent (from 73 percent in 1996, to 88 percent in 1998)
- To increase bicycle helmet
use among children under age 15 by 49 percent (from 31 percent in
1996, to 80 percent in 1998)
- To conduct at least 24
impaired driving checkpoints throughout the city in 1998, increasing
DUI arrests
- To initiate a zero tolerance
policy for impounding or seizing vehicles of motorists driving with
a suspended or revoked license
- To conduct 20 educational
presentations on impaired driving, bicycle safety, seat belts and
child restraint use to local schools and community groups
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Additional officers were
added to the police department's Traffic Bureau to increase traffic
enforcement, DUI enforcement and to focus police efforts on the high
number of driver's license violations contributing to Santa Maria's
fatal and injury crash rate. DUI checkpoints were conducted routinely
throughout the city, and were highly publicized in local newspapers
and on several radio stations. These activities were coordinated with
the California Highway Patrol and local chapters of Mothers Against
Drunk Driving (MADD).
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