This is an interactive blog provided by the Woodland Police Department. The blog is aimed at educating the public about laws associated to driving, driver education, and pedestrian safety.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

National Night Out and seatbelt reminder

These articles usually pertain only to traffic related matter. We will get there but I want to let the community know about National Night Out on August 2nd. The purpose of National Night Out is to bring awareness to crime and drug prevention, generate support for local anti-crime programs, strengthen community-police partnerships, and to let criminals know the neighborhoods are organized. In 2010, nationwide, over 15,000 communities and 37 million people participated.

National Night Out gatherings usually occur in the form of block parties which are organized by Neighborhood Watch block captains. This is an excellent way to meet your neighbors and bring the community together. The largest block party last year had nearly 100 people.

This year the Woodland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Yolo County Sheriffs Department, and the Woodland Fire Department will be participating in the event. Members from the various agencies will go to the individual gatherings and talk with community members. This is a great way for the members of the community to provide law enforcement officers with the concerns of the neighborhood and for officers to provide crime prevention tips.

The information flow between the community and the Woodland Police Department is an imperative aspect of operations for crime prevention. The Woodland Police Department actively uses the Problem Oriented Policing, or POP, model of policing. When the police department becomes aware of an ongoing crime related problem the police department can use different means to solve the problem. Many times POP projects include the use of code enforcement officers, building inspectors, and collaboration with property owners to resolve problems. Without involvement and information from community members the POP model is not effective.

As part of National Night Out the Woodland Professional Police Employee’s Association is sponsoring a friendly competition between neighborhood gatherings. The competition will be to show what group is the most patriotic. The winning group will receive an ice cream party hosted by members of the Woodland Police Department. If you are interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group or want to organize a block party contact the Woodland Police Department’s community outreach liaison, Mini Garcia Higgins, at 530-661-7854.

Back to traffic related concerns. After responding to a roll over collision a few weeks ago, the importance of seatbelt use was reinforced. I’m sure the occupants of the overturned vehicle would agree. Nearly all the windows of the vehicle had shattered. When windows break and occupants are not secured by seatbelts, the window frame acts as an ejection port. The occupants will fly through the vehicle until they are ejected or the vehicle comes to rest. Depending on how many times a vehicle rolls, the ejected occupants are commonly crushed by the rolling vehicle.

Wearing a seatbelt is a decision. One of the common themes in the Start Smart driving program, which is provided at the Woodland Police Department, is decision making. One of the common statements made by those who have survived major collisions is, “If I had known this would happen I would have made a better decision.” In a recent press release from the California Highway Patrol the topic of seatbelt use was discussed. During the 4th of July weekend 34 people were killed in collisions statewide. The CHP was responsible for investigating 17 of the fatal collisions. Of the 17 fatalities investigated by CHP, 14 of those killed were not wearing seatbelts.

Law enforcement officers will continue to issue seatbelts citations because citations are proven to increase seatbelt use. Even with enforcement, it is up to the individual to ensure they are wearing their seatbelt properly. As a reminder, the proper way to wear a standard lap/shoulder belt is over the lap and shoulder. This may seem like common knowledge to some but I see numerous people every day who wear the shoulder strap under their arm. This is a very unsafe way to wear your seatbelt.

Lap/shoulder belts are designed to restrain an individual in their seat when a collision occurs. When the shoulder portion of the seatbelt is worn under the arm the upper half of the body will move forward in a collision. This can result in an occupant’s head striking the dash or receiving a severe impact from an airbag. Wearing the seatbelt under the arm can also lead to fatal internal injuries.

If you have any questions about this article or traffic related matters contact me at 530-661-7843. If you want information on National Night Out contact Mini Higgins Garcia at 530-661-7854.

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