LAKE COUNTY – If life is a highway, as suggested in the popular Rascal Flatts song, driving recklessly takes on a whole new meaning. And the consequences come into clearer focus. The California Highway Patrol”s (CHP) latest statistics show that the number of deaths resulting from collisions are down in California, but not as much as was hoped.
“Each loss of life on a California roadway is a tragedy to a family, a tragedy to a community and a tragedy to all of us here in California,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown in a recent press release. The release notes a 2.49 percent decrease in highway collision fatalities from 4,304 people statewide in 2004 to 4,197 in 2006.
The percentage of the decrease was disappointing when compared to the originally projected 9.22 percent by which the number of collision-related deaths were expected to be reduced.
“It is truly gratifying to see a reduction in casualties from the previous year. I am thankful for every life saved and for every family that did not have to endure the heartache associated with losing a loved one. However, I am still convinced we as Californians can do much better,” said Brown.
For Lake County”s part, fatal collisions numbered 16 in 2006, up from 12 in 2005. According to CHP statistics, the 2006 crashes claimed a total of 20 lives for the year, up from 13 victims in 2005.
Clear Lake Area CHP officer Josh Dye confirmed the office had seen incidents with multiple casualties involved, but noted that overall, the casualties are down drastically from a time period that predates his coming to the Clear Lake Area office in approximately 2004.
“Lake County is growing, and we have more traffic up here now than ever,” said Dye.
The increase in fatalities does not indicate a trend overall for local collisions. The total number of crashes in Lake County for 2006 is down 10.79 percent from the 2005 figures, with 899 crashes injuring 541 victims in 2005, and 802 collisions injuring 448 people in 2006.
The CHP compiles statistics statewide to apply for grant funds from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), to develop the CHP”s internal strategic plan and to help draft a statewide safety plan, according to the CHP press release.
Dye explained that OTS grant dollars go to bring down collisions locally. One such grant dedicates 80 hours per month of enforcement focused on intersection safety, he said.
“We go out and work roadways … in the whole county, and we”re looking for primary collision factors, like speeding or unsafe turning. And we”re heavily targeting seat belts,” said Dye, adding that the “Click It or Ticket” campaign is a separate endeavor.
Additional, smaller grants bring up the focused enforcement hours to 100, and sometimes more. Some of those efforts target things like DUIs, motorcycle violations and speeding.
“The biggest one we”re doing is the intersection safety grant,” said Dye, which he said has been in effect since the beginning of the year.
Dye said he”s also been visiting local schools and talking to kids as another component to the CHP”s prevention efforts, in addition to Public Information Officer Adam Garcia”s plans to visit the county”s seniors.
Commissioner Brown emphasized in the CHP press release the need for greater prevention efforts statewide to reduce preventable roadway deaths statewide. “Awareness and commitment to traffic safety by the public is the best and most important tool in our arsenal at saving lives,” said Brown.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
