Sonoma County Transportation And Public Works Launches Traffic Safety Education Campaign

Press release from the Sonoma County Government:

January 8, 2021

Santa Rosa, CA – January 8, 2021 – The County of Sonoma Department of Transportation and Public Works (TPW) today announced the rollout of a second series of warning signs as part of its traffic safety education program in response to road fatalities and concerns about unsafe and aggressive driving. The program involves the placement of three new warning signs: "W2F!," "Way 2 FAST!," and "Slow Down Sonoma County" along road segments that are known trouble spots to county officials and law enforcement.

"This education campaign seeks to raise awareness about impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving and the collisions and fatalities that can result," said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. "Combined with efforts in traffic engineering and our partnership with law enforcement, we hope residents take notice and take care to safeguard themselves and one another when traveling our roads."

Since January 2015, more than 200 speed zones have been recertified by TPW, with more than 80 new or revised speed zones adopted by the Board of Supervisors in January of 2019 in support of speed limit enforcement by the California Highway Patrol.

The traffic educational outreach program supports Sonoma County's Vision Zero Program, which aims to achieve a goal of zero road system fatalities and severe injuries. In addition, TPW has two radar feedback trailers that are deployed in locations where unsafe and aggressive driving has been noted by residents and CHP.

According to Lt. Christine Jacobs with CHP, the agency issued more than 7,900 speeding tickets on Sonoma County roads in 2020. Speeding was deemed to be the cause of three traffic-related fatalities during the same period.

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.