I would like to respond to a Record-Bee letter dated March 22, titled, “Profiling: Unfair to motorcyclists,” in which the writer suggests the California Highway Patrol uses grant money to single out motorcycles during roadside checkpoints.
DUI enforcement and education is a component of the “Five Alive” grant; a separate element addresses motorcycle-involved collisions and victims. The purpose of the grant is to prevent injury and death to both motorists and motorcyclists.
The reason is that in 2009, the most recent year in which Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) data is available, there were 82 collisions within the CHP”s jurisdiction of Lake County in which DUI was a primary collision factor.
Lake County provides a primary thoroughfare linking Interstate 5 and U.S. 101 via state routes 20, 29 and 53. These scenic routes are favored by thousands of motorcyclists and drivers alike. In 2009, SWITRS data indicates there were 27 motorcycle collisions within the CHP”s jurisdiction of Lake County, resulting in the deaths of two motorcyclists.
The grant will help the CHP”s Clear Lake Area office address the issue of both impaired driving and motorcycle safety awareness through enforcement and education.
Although sobriety checkpoints are not specifically identified as a strategy to accomplish the grant”s objectives, they are a useful tool that serves three purposes ? deterrence, removal of drunk drivers from the road and public education. Let me reassure your readers that DUI checkpoints do not discriminate, nor do they target a particular type of motor vehicle.
Grant funds will also allow us to create 30-second radio public service announcements, which should begin airing in Lake County in the near future.
Bottom line, creating a safer highway environment is the shared responsibility of drivers and motorcyclists alike. We welcome and encourage information and insight from our communities in an ongoing effort to address concerns and find new ways to enhance the service we provide to our communities with pride, and to ensure safe and efficient transportation on our roadways.
As a reminder, the CHP is the state coordinator for the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. I would encourage any rider, especially those who are young or less experienced, to call 1-800-RIDE-411 or log onto the website at www.ca-msp.org/.
Commander Mark Loveless
California Highway Patrol, Kelseyville
