Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
‘Share the Road’ Campaign Aims to Increase Motorcycle Safety Awareness for All Road Users
 
On Friday, May 8, 2015, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a motorcycle safety enforcement operation within the city limits. This enforcement effort is to lower deaths and injuries among motorists involved in motorcycle collisions.  Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur.  Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes.  
                                          
As motorcycle fatalities and injuries have increased in California, the law enforcement and the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) have stepped up their efforts to promote safety and education, highlighted by Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May.
 
Nationwide, motorcyclists made up 14 percent of all vehicle-related fatalities in 2013, up from about 9 percent in 2004.  This was despite motorcycle registrations representing only 3 percent of all vehicles in the United States in 2013, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. The fatality rate per miles traveled for motorcyclists is 16 times that of vehicle occupants.
 
In 2013, California’s motorcycle collisions resulted in 475 fatalities and 13,143 injured victims. In 2012, 467 people were killed and 12,617 were injured.
 
During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month – and throughout the year – all road users are reminded to safely “share the road” with motorcyclists, and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe. That message is most important in California, which is home to more than 830,000 registered motorcycles – the most of any state – and more than 1.4 million motorcycle riders.
 
“Californians increasingly get around by means other than cars and trucks. More are bicycling, walking, taking mass transit and motorcycling,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “That also means that everyone needs to be extra cautious and looking out for everyone else, no matter what their means of transportation is.”
 
The California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) trains approximately 65,000 motorcyclists every year. As of July 2014, nearly 945,000 motorcycle riders have received training at one of the authorized CMSP training sites since the program began in 1987.  For more information or to find a training site near you, go to www.californiamotorcyclist.com.
 
The Oxnard Police Department offers tips to drivers on how to prevent motorcycle collisions:
 
Driver’s safety reminders:
-Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the rights of the road as any other motorist
 -Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic
-If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful: motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten
-Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding
-Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections
-Lane Sharing is not illegal in California
-Always allow more follow distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives them more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
-Never drive distracted or impaired
 
Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps:
-Wear the proper safety gear at all times, including a DOT-compliant helmet
-Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed
-Excessive speed is the most common rider-related factor in motorcycle related crashes
-Follow at a safe distance – three to four seconds
-Ride within your own limits – don’t be a victim of peer pressure
-Use turn signals at every lane change or turn.
-Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility.
-Never ride distracted or impaired
-Ride defensively – assume other drivers don’t see you
 
Funding for this operation is provided to the Oxnard Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 
 
For more information on motorcycle safety, visitwww.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles.
 
 
  DATE / TIME PREPARED: May 7, 2015 / 1830 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On Friday, June 26, 2015, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:30 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department conducted a DUI/Driver’s license checkpoint in the City of Oxnard.  The checkpoint was conducted in the southbound lanes of Victoria Avenue south of Gonzales Road.  The location was chosen to provide increased DUI deterrence and in response to recent alcohol related arrests and/or DUI collisions. 
 
The checkpoint resulted in the following:
 
·         985 vehicles through
·         878 drivers screened
·         Four DUI investigations
·         Two DUI alcohol arrests
·         Five citations issued to unlicensed drivers
·         Three citations issued to drivers with a suspended/revoked license
·         15 total citations issued
·         Four vehicles towed

The DUI arrests were made at or near the checkpoint held on Victoria Avenue.  Both of the drivers arrested were found to have a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit. 
 
The Oxnard Police Department will continue to conduct DUI enforcement operations this year.  These operations are an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and to make our roadways and community safer.  We also remind people to call 911 if they see an impaired driver.  These DUI enforcement operations are funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Jamie Brown at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org.  
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  06/27/15, 0300 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On June 28, 2015, at about 2:25 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS personnel responded to the 300 block of South Oxnard Boulevard in reference to an injury collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.  Upon arrival, an unconscious male was found lying in the roadway.
 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the Acura, driven by Joshua Allred, was traveling northbound on Oxnard Boulevard from Fourth Street.  According to witnesses, the male pedestrian was crossing the roadway midblock, north of Fourth Street.  As the pedestrian reached the center median, he suddenly stepped back into the roadway for an unknown reason and was struck by the Acura.  The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.          
 
Driver Allred and two male passengers, ages 19 and 16, were not injured as a result of the collision and were released from the scene.  Excessive speed does not appear to be a factor in this collision.  
 
The collision is still under investigation.       
 
If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Traffic Officer Phil Flores at (805) 385-7749 or via email at phillip.flores@oxnardpd.org. 
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  June 28, 2015 / 0645 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
As summer winds down, the Ventura County Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force is ramping up its enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on drunk driving.  The 18-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is a partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to curb impaired driving and save lives.  From August 21 to September 7 (Labor Day), law enforcement partners in Ventura County, across the state and nationwide will show zero tolerance for drunk driving.  Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of driving drunk, coupled with checkpoints and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce the toll of drunk driving.
 
In 2013, there were 10,076 people killed in drunk driving crashes, almost a third of all traffic fatalities according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  In California that year, 867 people died in drunk driving collisions according to NHTSA.  Thirty-eight percent of crash fatalities on Labor Day weekend that year involved drunk drivers with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher.  More than a quarter (27 percent) of the crash fatalities that occurred on Labor Day weekend involved drivers with BACs of .15 or higher – almost twice the illegal limit.
 
The County’s DUI Task Force kicked off last night with DUI/Driver’s License checkpoints in the City of Simi Valley.  Operations over the next 18 days will include the following: 

• August 22 – DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, City of Thousand Oaks
• August 28 – DUI Driver’s License Checkpoints, City of Oxnard
• September 4 – DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, City of Ventura 

In addition to these checkpoints, agencies across Ventura County have planned several DUI saturation patrols, DUI warrant operations and two court sting operations.  The California Highway Patrol will deploy all available officers onto freeways and county roads as part of their Maximum Enforcement Period over the three-day holiday weekend.
 
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. 
 
So this August and year-round, remember that there’s no excuse for drunk or impaired driving.  If you choose to break the law, police, sheriff and CHP officials will see you before you see them.  Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
 
Ventura County Avoid DUI Task Force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who reminds everyone; Report Drunk Drivers! – Call 9-1-1.

DATE / TIME PREPARED:August 22, 2015 / 0845 hours