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Citations up, accidents down

The number of traffic accidents at Sacramento State has plummeted this year, and campus police believe it’s because officers are writing more citations.

In the first eight months of this year, officers wrote 829 citations, compared to 660 in all of 2007 and 638 in 2006. The total of traffic collisions, injury and non-injury, have fallen, standing at 18 this year compared to 59 last year and 56 in 2006.

Officers say the corresponding drop in accidents with the increase in citations is no coincidence. “The numbers speak for themselves,” says Sacramento State Police Lt. Dan Davis. “The decrease in accidents definitely correlates to a stepped up enforcement of traffic violations.”

The citation increase isn’t a result of a directive or new police policy, Davis says, although a new contingent of officers has been asked to step up enforcement. “We’ve asked them to be involved and visible and deal with issues and problems affecting the campus community,” Davis says.

Police are taking other steps to increase traffic safety by re-engineering some problem areas. Morning commuters who come to campus via the southern entrances have no doubt noticed the dividing poles lining the center of State University Drive South at Napa Hall. Those were installed to prohibit illegal left turns over the double-yellow line into the Napa Hall parking area.

Another divider is planned for State University Drive East in front of Modoc Hall to again prevent left turns into the campus parking areas there. When traffic backs up on that street, Davis says, motorists often turn left and cut through the Modoc Hall parking area at high rates of speed. “We’ve had some complaints about that,” he says.

Another minor traffic safety project is scheduled for State University Drive near the Health Center.

Police believe those projects and the stepped-up enforcement are making the University safer for its drivers. “Our officers are doing a good job,” Davis says.