Traffic Accident Rate Up as Enforcement Falls Off

San Diego roadways are becoming more dangerous, with more people dying in traffic accidents during the first three months of 1985 than in the same period last year, statistics compiled by the San Diego Police Department indicate.

Meanwhile, traffic enforcement by San Diego police has become more lenient, with officers arresting fewer people for drunk driving, writing fewer traffic tickets and issuing fewer warnings.

Police spokesman Bill Robinson said the statistics compare the first quarter of 1985, from Jan. 1 to March 31, with the same period in 1984. Overall, they show that San Diego roadways are becoming more dangerous at the same time the Police Department is becoming more tolerant of bad drivers.

Robinson said the number of fatal accidents this year has increased from 23 to 31, or 34.7%. The number of people who died in car accidents has jumped from 25 to 32, an increase of 28%.

There were also 12% more injury accidents--4,215 in the first quarter of 1984 compared to 4,720 this year--and an increase of 5.5% of all accidents, which amounted to 6,560 this year compared to 6,216 in 1984.

The statistics also indicated that San Diego police officers have become less vigorous in enforcing traffic laws. The number of drunk driving arrests has decreased 21%. Officers this year apprehended 2,080 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, compared to 2,610 last year.

The number of all traffic tickets issued by police plunged 13%--from 72,508 to 63,231--and officers have curtailed by 24% the number of traffic warnings given. Motorists received 14,257 warnings in 1984 but only 10,973 this year.

Robinson said he was “sure (police) administrators will be looking at the stats in terms of stronger enforcement.” He said there was no way of knowing whether the easing of police enforcement correlated directly with the higher incidence of motoring deaths and accidents.

As for the apparent easing of traffic enforcement, Robinson said, “part of the explanation might be due to the increase in court appearances by the officers and the officers’ assignments to special events such as stadium or Sports Arena events and marathon (running) activities.

“What I’m saying, in essence, is that we’re spreading our officers too thin. You can only stretch resources so far.”

He also said the police force had not adopted a policy of looking the other way with traffic offenders. “It (traffic enforcement) is still a priority because it involves the protection of life.”