Sierra Vista police say effort reduced rear-end collisions

By Julie Ann Marra
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 05:33:34 am MST

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SIERRA VISTA — The city Police Department reported Wednesday that there was a marked decreased in the number of rear-end accidents in June when compared to May.

Officers issued 12 citations for rear-end collisions in June, and drop from 24 citations issued in May.

This time period coincided with the department’s Following Too Close Detail, which involved 10 Sierra Vista officers. They issued six citations and four warnings for following too close between June 16 and June 30. The decrease in collisions showed that the campaign was successful.

The Southeast Arizona DUI Task Force participated in 139 traffic stops throughout Cochise County on July 5. Officers issued 67 citations, 93 warnings and two seat belt violations. They also conducted 11 field sobriety tests resulting in six misdemeanor DUIs and one felony DUI.

Participating in the operation were three officers from the Sierra Vista Police Department, three from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, six from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, four from Willcox and two from the Tombstone Marshal’s Office.

The Southeast Arizona DUI task force also issued 26 citations for other alcohol related violations not involving driving under the influence and 10 other arrests.

JULIE ANN MARRA can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at julieann.marra@svherald.com

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simplyme wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:28 PM:

" crack me up!! One month and you think you have a statistic change and due only to the PD? This article states citations decreased not accidents? Actually the NATION has had a decrease in accidents since gas prices have continued to soar. It is suspected that people are not driving unless really necessary, carpooling more, driving slower to conserve gas, riding buses, walking, using mopeds and scooters. Did they take that into consideration? Has the PD or SVHerald bothered to read about how the accident rate has dropped nationally? "

Friend wrote on Jul 18, 2008 9:13 AM:

" Goes to show you look at the people that drive on post on the long getaways. Five,ten sometimes more they exceed the posted limit.They are doing it on post,and perhaps more so in sierra vista.Truly aggressive drivers out there.Only when a accident happens does one wake up. "

Larry Talbot wrote on Jul 17, 2008 6:58 PM:

" comparing two months hardly proves anything. This is an insult to our intelligence "

Get them wrote on Jul 17, 2008 2:56 PM:

" People in left lane should maintain the speed limit or if too slow for traffic flow, signal and safely proceed to the right lane and stay off the cell phone. This may solve the problem of tailgating, especially if local law officers would ticket those impeding traffic in the left lane. "

C.College Student wrote on Jul 17, 2008 1:22 PM:

" 10 (citations/warnings) for 10 (officers), sounds really ambitious! Sit and watch them as they piggy back on hwy 90, 92 and Moson. Break check! It's no wonder there is a tremendous lack of respect for traffic safety. "

Brian wrote on Jul 17, 2008 12:04 PM:

" Not sure the cause and effect logic holds for the rear-enders. Did they look into to other factors, say for example folks outta town on vacation? Decrease in the potential participants could have and effect as well. must be a slow news day. "

Ron wrote on Jul 17, 2008 11:43 AM:

" How about an effort to get slow driving, cell phone talking, non-drivers out of the left lane. "

SV driver wrote on Jul 17, 2008 8:21 AM:

" How about tickets issued for not signaling lane changes or turns; illegal lane changes; running red lights; impeding traffic and many other traffic violations that I see on an almost daily basis in this town. "

lol wrote on Jul 17, 2008 7:54 AM:

" What a joke!!! The police departments and this news paper are a big huge joke!!I still had lots of tailgators and the police drove right past me when they were on my butt and did nothing.
I was in the right lane. I guess I will have to slame on my brakes for the next tailgator. I will say Did you see that ant in the road I had to stop so I didn't hit it lol. "

Gene wrote on Jul 17, 2008 7:37 AM:

" Having been here a year, I have noticed that a fair % of drivers can not gauge distance. Often I see others (myself too) having to slow (way) down to keep from rear-ending them. I will admit, when this happens to me I tend to show my displeasure by "following to closely".
As one driver informed me (when he did not like me following to closely), "I gave you more than enough room". While what I did was (and can not) not be acceptable, the prevailing attitude seems to be... if I get in front they will slow down. "

Sucess wrote on Jul 17, 2008 5:50 AM:

" In two weeks, 10 officers issued 10 tickets in their major tailgating sweep. Talk about making themselves look like they did something, they wrote less citations for rear end collisions, and only compared one month. "