State Route 12: Staying Focused On Safety

State Route 12: Staying Focused On Safety

Safety on State Route 12 grabbed headlines after a horrific March that saw fatal accidents on three consecutive days. Since then, safety efforts have resulted in far fewer accidents and fatalities in April, May and June. Staying focused on SR 12 safety remains at the top of the STA‟s priority list.

An immediate step is en-hanced traffic enforcement. In addition to CHP‟s stepped-up enforcement, a corridor safety grant from the Office of Traffic Safety appears likely, and will provide as much as $1 million for education and en-forcement.

Caltrans has sped up the delivery of safety improvements for SR 12. Shoulder and median rumble strips have been in-stalled, along with message and radar feedback signs. Soft „channelizer‟ median separators have been installed between Rio Vista and SR 113; by mid-October, a concrete barrier will be in place from Walters Road to Shiloh Road.

Assemblywoman Lois Wolk and Senator Pat Wiggins have introduced legislation to name a section of SR 12 in honor of Officer David Lamoree, who lost his life in a head-on accident in October 2005, and to designate SR 12 from I-80 to I-5 as a double-fine zone (DFZ). Both bills have been approved by the Assembly, and are scheduled for Senate hearings.

Finally, STA is leading a public education effort to make driv-ers aware of the dangers on SR 12. This includes a safety newsletter, a new safety campaign logo and preparation of public service announcements for local media. Working to-gether, we can reduce dangerous driving on SR 12, and catch and punish those who put others at risk. In order to succeed, we will all need to keep focused on safety.