Yesterday, the Seattle Police Department, along with Washington State Patrol and Washington Liquor Control Board held a day-long Safe Driving Enforcement on Aurora. Jim Curtain from SDOT was kind enough to provide me with the most recent statistics from yesterday’s operation, which I find staggering:
Total charges – 670
Total citations – 509
Total warnings – 198
Total speeders – 331
Aggressive driving – 19
DUI Arrest – 6
Negligent Driving – 2
High speed – 66/40
Cell phone – 62
No insurance – 80
No Op License – 23
FTY to Pedestrians – 1
FTY Right of Way – 2
Unsafe Lane Change – 21
Follow to close – 2
School zone – 8
School zone (speed van) – 42
Bicycle – 2
Inattention – 2
Defective Equipment – 8
Illegal turns – 16
Signs Obey – 15
No seatbelt – 30
Vehicle License – 5
Jim wrote that “from the perspective of the Aurora Traffic Safety Project, we strongly believe that this event was a success,” and also reiterated the goal of yesterday’s patrol:
The patrol was not to issue citations, but to make Aurora safer for everyone (by reducing) collisions on Aurora through low cost engineering, enforcement, and engineering efforts. Yesterday’s emphasis patrol effectively raised awareness in the communities adjacent to Aurora to this effort and the need to drive safe on Aurora. Not only did this patrol help get our safety message out to the public, we also received extremely positive feedback from residents and business owners along the corridor.
Since June 2009, the Aurora Traffic Safety Project has been able to reduce collisions by 20 percent on Aurora. We hope that yesterday’s patrol and a continued SPD presence on Aurora, along with educational efforts and engineering improvements to the roadway (that will begin very soon), will continue to improve safety on Aurora.
Drive safely, neighbors, and even if you already do, you still need to be aware of those who don’t. Having a reputable DUI lawyer is essential if you’re ever in a situation involving drunk driving. They can provide the legal expertise needed to navigate the case. For more information, visit https://www.newjerseycriminallawattorney.com/dui-drunk-driving/.
I assume all stops were made with probable cause.
Total citations = 509.
Avg citation cost is likely $130+, but let’s call it $100 for ease of math.
$50,900 in fines in one day. It’s about more than just safety.
Yes, but it contributes to safety in my neighborhood.
Plus, *6* DUIs? I guess I’m naive about the amount of drunk driving that goes on around here.
Seems more like the Aurora revenue generation project. You could do this on any road in America and have similar results.
40 MPH on that road is way too low for the type of road it is. 50 MPH is more appropriate, and the SPD know that. They take advantage of the inappropriate speed limit to pad the budget shortfall.
I didn’t get a ticket yesterday, but I’ve been pulled over a couple times doing just over 50 MPH. It’s ridiculous. The city didn’t get a cent from me though, as I had the Mucklestones defend me in court. https://www.mucklestone.com –> they have a web form to collect your info, and I think I may have even paid via PayPal. Simple. Don’t let the SPD scam you out of money for inappropriate actions on their part.
I would have expected more DUIs than 6.
I’m shocked that 80 people didn’t have insurance! Hopefully that number includes people who had insurance but didn’t have proof of it. Scary though!
I thought 6 DUIs was a lot for a week day, day time.
BTW, I just started walking in South Lake Union during the day, and Wallingford feels a lot safer! Maybe that’s just because it’s new & different, tho.
Its nothing but a money grab; Using the law as an excuse to confiscate money from those who earned it and give it to those who didn’t. Its a mugging pure and simple. Its not the locals’ fault that there is a budget shortfall. Having a heavy police presence in my neighborhood doesn’t enhance my safety, it just means that at some point my “number comes up” when I get on the road (I have had no infractions for over 20 years and would like to keep it that way).
But it’s not like the police are going out there and making people break the law. Everyone knows the rules, if you don’t want to pay, don’t break those rules. I wish more people would drive like there are police around every corner.
I am glad they got the cellphone users!
I agree with Jaret. There are way too many people speeding and driving aggressively, not just on Aurora but throughout our narrow, high-pedestrian neighborhood streets as well. People complain about tickets, but you don’t have to break the law and driving a car is a life-threatening responsibility, not a right. I would be more sympathetic if something like 40,000 people a year were not killed in traffic collisions (and yes, most should be called collisions not “accidents”).
I’m glad they’re finally giving out tickets to bicyclists. It’s only two but that’s two more than I’ve ever seen.
Well put, Jaret.
@10/Brooke: It’s actually down to around 32-33,000 a year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year