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02/17/2020 11:00 PMThe relatively new Guilford Police Department (GPD) Traffic Safety Unit conducted what Sergeant Christopher Massey called a “high visibility enforcement effort,” targeting distracted drivers and moving violators during an eight-hour period on Feb. 8. The effort yielded a total of 31 violations, according to a release by the department.
Sergeant Martina Jakober told the Courier that the Traffic Safety Unit was formed to better hone in on areas of potentially unsafe driving. Officers assigned traffic-related duties often were being called away to address other issues, she said, and having the dedicated unit allows the GPD to more effectively focus on unsafe driving in town.
Jakober said the initiative on Feb. 8 focused on an approximately three-mile stretch of Boston Post Road between the intersection with Goose Lane to the east, running to just north of Interstate 95 around the Guilford Commons. It also covered Church Street between Interstate 95 and the Boston Post Road near CVS, according to Jakober.
Those areas were chosen due to their high traffic volume, according to Massey, who leads the Traffic Safety Unit, and not because of any particular resident complaints. Because the unit is relatively new, how often and what areas might be targeted has not yet been decided, though it could become more regular, according to Massey.
Jakober said that the GPD focus is always trying to curb the highest risk behaviors—in this case, distracted driving, and specifically cell phone usage by drivers.
“It’s so bad, because people aren’t even looking at the road,” Jakober said. “Their eyes are completely diverted.
Of the 31 violations, the GPD release said that “enforcement ranged from warnings to misdemeanor summons.”
Jakober described other recent efforts to combat unsafe driving by the GPD and the Traffic Safety Unit, including installing radar-equipped signs in particular areas, often in response to resident concerns.
The GPD is also using data from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository (CCDR), a publicly available tool that allows searching of specific data on vehicle accidents and their locations, to better understand what intersections or roads in town are prone to unsafe motor vehicle use. Massey also puts together monthly reports that highlight potential problem areas, according to Jakober.
There were 407 total motor vehicle accidents in Guilford last year, according to the CCDR.
Specific traffic concerns can be brought to the GPD at 203-453-8061, or through the GPD website guilfordpd.com/contact.