The result is an intersection safety operation, which the agency reports will enable CHP Officers working on overtime details to focus enforcement on intersection safety.

The goal, the CHP said in a Thursday statement, is to keep Lake County residents safe while using the local roadways.

CHP said it will accomplish that goal by aggressively enforcement on the following violations: speed, unsafe lane change, improper turning, right-of-way violations, unsafe starting and backing, stop sign/signal violations, following too close, driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol and failure to use occupant restraints.

The enforcement has arisen from an increase since 1999 of traffic collisions within the Clear Lake Area CHP’s jurisdiction, according to the announcement.

While the County of Lake is rural, and sparsely populated, CHP notes the population increases in the spring and summer months due to tourism and agriculture.

Lake County also has three American Indian gaming casinos that attract tourists throughout the year, which CHP reports have significantly impacted intersections through increased traffic volumes during the spring and summer.

That higher traffic volume, said CHP, increases the possibility of an injury or fatal collision.

CHP reports that reducing fatalities and injuries can be accomplished by careful use of consistent enforcement efforts, ongoing education of drivers and pedestrians, and most importantly the drivers’ and pedestrians’ willingness to obey and support the traffic safety laws and regulations.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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