I am Officer Ted Ruiz, a traffic enforcement officer with the Woodland Police Department. In 2007 the Woodland Police Department received a traffic safety grant from the State Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The money provided in the grant is being used to fund one additional traffic enforcement officer, increased DUI enforcement, and education for the public about issues related to driver safety.
The Woodland Police Department Traffic Division is currently staffed with one Sergeant, one DUI enforcement officer, two parking enforcement officers, and three motorcycle officers. The purpose of the Traffic Division is to prevent loss of life, reduce injuries, reduce property damage, investigate major traffic collisions, educate the public regarding rules of the road in venues such as this, identify and correct traffic related issues, plan and facilitate the arrival and departure of traffic during large community functions such as the Independence Day events and the Christmas Parade, and facilitate the safe and efficient movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic throughout the City. The two main ways to improve safety on the roads are education and enforcement.
The Woodland Police Department’s mission is “We are committed to providing the highest quality law enforcement services to our community.” Two ways that we accomplish this mission are communication and continuing education. To that end this column is aimed at being an educational tool to open the lines of communication between the community and Woodland Police Department. Along with this column, which will appear in the Daily Democrat every three weeks, there is also a link to an online traffic blog on the Woodland Police Department website. I will be maintaining the blog daily and you will be able to communicate with traffic officers, leave feedback, ask questions or simply stay updated on traffic related issues. http://www.thetrafficstop.blogspot.com/
The Woodland Police Department website also has an online reporting page where you can report traffic concerns. The concerns will be given to the traffic enforcement officers and, if appropriate, the traffic engineers in an effort to alleviate any reported traffic problems. You can reach us at www.woodlandpolice.org
In this weeks column I will discuss stop signs. The California Vehicle Code section states:
22450. (a) The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection shall stop at a limit line, if marked, otherwise before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection. If there is no limit line or crosswalk, the driver shall stop at the entrance to the intersecting roadway.
What the section describes is the requirement to stop at a stop sign. The section does not give a time requirement of how long you should stop but only that a vehicle come to a complete stop at the limit line, crosswalk, or prior to entering the intersection if no roadway markings are present.
One of the things I often hear people say after I have stopped them for not stopping at a stop sign is, “I drive this road every day. I always stop.” What happens is people get in a routine of traveling a certain path every day and go into autopilot due to their familiarity with the road. I believe driving on auto pilot is what causes people to slow to five or ten miles per hour and roll past a stop sign. It’s similar to performing common tasks without thinking about what we are doing.
It is also not uncommon for me to be sitting near an intersection and see someone fail to stop at a stop sign, travel through the intersection, and never look left or right to see if any other traffic was approaching. We need to be aware of these things while we are driving as they can lead to traffic collisions and pedestrians and bicyclists being struck.
I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to read this article and I hope it makes you think about your surroundings while you are driving. Feel free to visit the blog, ask questions, and give your thoughts. California has not had a day without a traffic fatality since September 12, 2000, so please drive safely.
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It is nice to hear that you are discussing laws that have been on the books for sometime verses ones that have currently passed. It is to bad when people are given their driving test it isn't like when you are given a commercial driving test. Where as, when you stop at an intersection if the stop bar, or pedestrian's crossing isn't visible, you flunk the test. As for coming to a complete stop it seems here in Woodland when you are making a right turn you don't have to!
ReplyDeleteThanks for listening,
Dan
Great job on the article!
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to see the Police Department interacting with the community in a proactive and positive manner.
It may take some time but I think this blog will get a lot of reads and comments. I have never seen a Police Department open itself up to direct questions in this manner and am looking forward to some great discussions.
Hopefully you will allow an off-topic question.
I frequently see the parking enforcement vehicles parked in the red zones near the Dead Cat Alley side of the Opera House while the officers are getting breakfast or coffee at the Fat Cat Cafe.
Is it permissible for a law enforcement officer to disregard the law if in a police vehicle on unofficial business?
As a matter of full disclosure I have received two parking tickets from these same traffic enforcement officers for parking over the two hour maximum in that area. I admit that I was in the wrong and paid the fine.
To Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting on the blog. I would like to answer your question about parking in the red zone by police vehicle. In that area the parking enforcement personnel are working a foot patrol due to the number of parking lots in the vicinity. The only area for them to park, without taking up a parking space, is near the bicycle rack south of Fat Cat Café. We try to avoid the perception that law enforcement is parking in a red zone for personal reasons. The Traffic Sergeant has been made aware of the issue and the issue has been discussed with our parking staff.
You may also see police vehicles parking in red zones when handling call for service at a large retail establishment. When engaged in police activities, such as shoplifters and burglary alarms, it is legal for police vehicles to be parked in red zones. We are currently trying to find some areas within red zones to mark as “Law Enforcement Only” to avoid the perception that the police are parking in red zones for personal reasons. Thank you again for the post.
DEAR OFFICER RUIZ, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ON TEEN EMPACT DRIVING! I HAVE THREE TEENAGE GRANDCHILDREN;TWO OF WHICH JUST OBTAINED THEIR LICENCE,THE OTHER HER PERMIT. I PLAN TO FORWARD YOUR INFO. ON TO THEM. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR GREAT SERVICE! THE WPD IS ALWAYS IN MY PRAYER'S. RESPECTFULLY, HELEN M.STEPHENS,(THE OLE METER MAID) RUMSEY,CA. MY BEST TO ALL OF YOU WHO SERVE.
ReplyDeleteOfficer Ruiz,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply about parking in Red Zones by parking enforcement. However, the two officers were clearly getting coffee and breakfast in the establishment and left the cafe with those items in their hand. They were in no way on foot patrol. This has happened on a fairly regular basis, although I have not noticed it recently. Maybe they have corrected their ways after a discussion with the Sergent, so it looks like something good came out of my post.
Thanks again and keep it up with the great articles!