 Jeri Williams Chief of Police |
Oxnard Police Department
R. Jason Benites Scott Whitney |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
| INCIDENT: | DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint and Motorcycle DUI Enforcement Operation |
| DATE/TIME: | June 13, 2015 / 1500 – 0300 hours |
| LOCATION: | City of Oxnard |
| PREPARED BY: |
Brian Woolley, Traffic Sergeant (805) 385-7847 [email protected] |
|
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO: |
Jamie Brown, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749 [email protected] |
DETAILS:
On Saturday, June 13, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a motorcycle DUI enforcement operation. As motorcycle fatalities and injuries have increased in California, law enforcement and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) have stepped up their efforts to promote safety and education.
On March 12, 2015, the Oxnard Police Department investigated an alcohol-related motorcycle collision causing the death of the 37 year-old motorcycle rider. 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.
The Oxnard Police Department offers these tips to drivers on how to prevent a collision with a motorcycle:
- Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the same rights of the road as any other motorist.
- Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
- If you see a motorcycle with its turn 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.
- Always allow more follow distance when behind a motorcycle. This gives more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
- Never drive distracted or impaired.
Motorcyclists can increase their own 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.
- 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.
For more information on motorcycle safety, visit www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles.
Following the motorcycle enforcement operation, the Traffic Unit will be conducting a multiple location DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking driver’s for proper licensing while delaying motorists only momentarily. Specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving. Additional officers will be deployed throughout the city to conduct additional DUI enforcement.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. Nearly 90 percent of California drivers approve of DUI checkpoints.
Funding for these operations 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 Drivers – Call 9-1-1.’
DATE / TIME PREPARED: June 12, 2015 / 1200 hours