- Lake County News reports
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Traffic safety benefits as more Californians stay home
With traffic volume down, the number of incidents on California’s roadways, including collisions and arrests for driving under the influence, continues to decline.
“People are adhering to the order, eliminating non-essential travel, and as a result, there has been a significant reduction in the number of commuters on the highways,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley.
According to preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, or SWITRS, there was a 75 percent decrease in the number of crashes in California this year from March 19 to April 30, as compared to the same period in 2019.
Additionally, the same SWITRS data indicated an 88 percent reduction in the number of people killed and a 62 percent decrease in the number of people injured in crashes.
The total number of truck-involved collisions also saw a 60 percent drop, with fatal truck-involved crashes down 88 percent.
California’s crash reduction rate is not the only positive to come from the quieter roadways. The number of DUI arrests made by CHP officers has decreased during March and April, from 7,224 in 2019 to 4,223 in 2020; nearly 42 percent.
However, not all of the state’s drivers have been on their best behavior during the pandemic. The open roads have led to a few brazen motorists testing the speed limit and eventually meeting up with a CHP officer for a citation.
Between March 19 and April 30, CHP officers issued 2,738 citations for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, which is an increase of 113 percent from last year.
In Lake County, Officer Joel Skeel of the Clear Lake Area CHP office offered the following statistics:
March 2019
DUI arrests: 28
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 570
Injury collision: 17
March 2020
DUI arrests: 15
DUI collision: 3
Citations: 246
Injury collision: 15
April 2019
DUI arrests: 20
DUI collision: 6
Citations: 597
Injury collision: 18
April 2020
DUI arrests: 19
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 134
Injury collision: 9
Skeen also offered totals for May, in order to show how things are adding up for the month so far.
May 2019
DUI arrests: 27
DUI collision: 10
Citations: 637
Injury collision: 24
May 2020
DUI arrests: 7
DUI collision: 4
Citations: 132
Injury collision: 10
“Resist the temptation to speed. Drivers are easier to spot when they are on a nearly empty roadway,” added Commissioner Stanley. “Remember, taking care of one another goes beyond wearing a face covering and physical distancing. As communities in California move into the next phases of reopening, continue to slow down, pay attention to the road, drive sober, and keep yourself and those around you from becoming a grim statistic.”
Editor’s note: The CHP issued a correction, noting that the number of citations issued by CHP officers statewide from March 19 through April 30 for speeding in excess of 100 MPH was 4,000 and not 2,738, resulting in a 113 percent increase and not a 46 percent increase as was originally reported.