Camarillo to Put Brakes on Drivers

In response to a sharp upswing in vehicle crashes, sheriff’s deputies in Camarillo are planning a monthlong program to crack down on traffic violators.

In the first 10 months of this year there were 722 crashes, up sharply from 627 in all of 2001, officials said.

Of the 722, more than 500 were caused by driver negligence, including speeding, drunk driving, failing to yield for a stop sign and other right-of-way violations, officials said.

A small portion of the crashes were attributed to widespread road construction in and around the city, they said.

“It is all too easy to discount these as ‘accidents,’ creating the impression that they cannot be prevented,” said Ventura County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Dave Tennessen. “In fact, very few crashes occur because of uncontrollable circumstances.”

The decision to conduct the Strategic Traffic Enforcement Plan also resulted from a survey this year of residents, who said speeding was the leading problem in their neighborhoods.

“We are seeing a problem of growing public contempt for speed limits, traffic signs, traffic signals and an increase in distracted driving,” Tennessen said.

Although officials won’t say when it will start, the traffic enforcement plan includes having all motorcycle deputies, accident investigators and specially assigned detectives patrolling for traffic violators.

The Sheriff’s Department, whose deputies function as city police, also plans to place three radar trailers in high traffic areas to show drivers’ their speed by flashing it on a screen.

Tennessen said creating the enforcement plan reflects a growing trend among law enforcement to get drivers to slow down.

The commander cited a 2001 federal study in which respondents said that they were more concerned about being in a traffic accident than about being a victim of a violent crime.

“Proactive traffic enforcement efforts can prevent many crashes from occurring,” Tennessen said.