OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
 

The Oxnard Police Department has been awarded a $330,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries.  The Oxnard Police Department will use the funding as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.
 
Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney commented that “OTS grant funding will assist us in achieving our department’s goal of reducing the total number of collisions which would result in a reduction of injuries and fatalities.”  Chief Whitney added that he “was grateful for the support from OTS in achieving our mutual goal of making our roadways safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists through continued focus on enforcement and education on distracted driving, drunk and drugged driving, and speed and seat belt compliance.”    
 
After falling to a ten-year low in 2010, the number of persons killed has climbed nearly 17% across the state with 3,176 killed in 2015 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Particularly alarming is the six-year rise in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, along with the growing dangers of distracting technologies, and the emergence of drug-impaired driving as a major problem. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk driving, speeding, and crashes at intersections.
“Years of research tell us that enforcement and education work best jointly to combat unsafe driving,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft.  “This grant brings both tactics together, with the Office of Traffic Safety and the Oxnard Police Department working in concert to help keep the streets and highways safe across Oxnard and the state.”
 
Activities that the grant will fund include:
•           Educational presentations
•           DUI checkpoints
•           DUI saturation patrols
•           Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement
•           Motorcycle safety enforcement
•           Distracted driving enforcement
•           Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement
•           Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement
•           Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders
•           Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
•           Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE)
•           Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from DUI court after ignoring their license suspension or revocation
•           Stakeout operations to observe the “worst-of-the-worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver licenses
 
Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
 

DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint Planned this Friday

 
The Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, October 28, 2016, at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.  
 
The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes.  Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely. DUI checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.
 
In California, this deadly crime led to 867 deaths and over 23,000 serious injuries in 2013 because someone failed to designate a sober driver.  Nationally, the latest data shows over 10,000 were killed by an impaired driver. Over the course of the past three years, Oxnard officers have investigated 663 DUI collisions, which have claimed 10 lives and resulted in another 436 injuries.
 
Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying motorists only momentarily.  When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. 
 
Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.  A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent).  Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects. 
 
Law Enforcement emphasizes the preventable nature of drunk driving reminding everyone that all it takes is a little planning ahead. Designate a sober driver or call a cab. But whatever you do, don’t drink and drive.The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year, the new DDVIP app offers enhanced features, allowing users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California. Users will be offered free incentives at each bar to celebrate their life-saving role.  They can stay up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb – all from one screen. 
 
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.
 
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Oxnard Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1’.
 
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  October 26, 2016 / 6:00 p.m.