Large Number of Injuries and Fatalities for Trinity River CHP’s Area Leads to Federal Grant to Reduce Collisions

CHP Trinity river CHP snow

[Screengrab of a photo on the CHP Trinity River Facebook page]

Between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016, the small district patrolled by the Trinity River California Highway Patrol had 149 people injured and 9 people killed in traffic collisions. In part because of these relatively high numbers the district which very roughly conforms to Trinity County’s borders though it comes considerably into Humboldt County’s northeastern edge received a grant to help reduce collisions.

 

CHP District map

#175 on the map is the Trinity River CHP District. [Screengrab from a CHP District map. Click here for the whole map.]

Press release from the Trinity River California Highway Patrol:

 

Saving lives is the core mission of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). In order to accomplish this mission, the CHP Trinity River Area office will use a federal grant to conduct a regional traffic safety campaign in Trinity County. The project started on October 1, 2018, and ends on September 30, 2019.

The Trinity River Area will deploy officers on enhanced enforcement on State Routes 299, 3, and 36; and Trinity County roadways where CHP Trinity River Area has jurisdiction, such as Trinity Dam Boulevard, Rush Creek, Lewiston, and Hyampom Roads, and Oregon Street. In addition to enhanced enforcement, this traffic safety effort will also include a community-based task force and public awareness and education to reinforce key traffic safety messages.

“At the end of the day, the Highway Patrol wants you to be home safe with your family,” said CHP Lieutenant Ryan Ham, Commander of the Trinity River Area office. “This grant will augment the services your California Highway Patrol Officers already provide. By providing more educational opportunities and enhanced proactive enforcement in our community, this will help us get the message out to the motoring public.”

According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016, there were 158 people injured and killed in traffic collisions on state routes and highways patrolled by the CHP Trinity River Area office…. The top primary collision factors were improper turning, unsafe speed, impaired driving, automobile right-of-way, and wrong side of road violations.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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14 Comments
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R -DOG
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R -DOG
5 years ago

That is why you should drive accordingly to road constructions

Adam Hall
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Adam Hall
5 years ago

They better spend some money on safety. Caltrans spent the last five years straightening and widening 299 so it can handle bigger trucks, but the local volunteer fire districts have to handle the extra workload when things go bad.

CLAUDIA Johnson
Guest
CLAUDIA Johnson
5 years ago

299 and 199 have so many accidents people do drive too fast they don’t pay attention I don’t know what can be done about it but 299 got an accident on it almost everyday sometimes too again I’ve driven those roads for the last 30 years all you have to do is watch the signs and Obey them 199 is another situation last time I was on it there were three car accidents all in the porch and going through what I call the canyon hear the river again I’m sure it’s people driving too fast wish we could get people to listen you’re right about the local fire departments they’re all small out in both those areas they don’t have the Manpower or the money to do what they should they should be given a lot more money both of them all the small departments out on 199 and 299

Larry Masterman
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Larry Masterman
5 years ago

If CHP will lend me a spike strip or two, I’ll gladly deploy it when someone driving through Weaverville is paying more attention to their phone than their driving.

Mark
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Mark
5 years ago

It does not require a grant and one year to determine what the problem is. Waste of time and money. Use the grant money to improve the roads. CHP can spend a year with extra patrols but it will never stop the way people have chosen to drive in this era.

Bozo
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Bozo
5 years ago
Reply to  Mark

>”Use the grant money to improve the roads.”

Yup. Will take a lot of money to remove the curves on most of those roads.

I think the problem is with most ‘modern’ cars, they handle the curves much more readily
than the old cars… until they don’t. Then you’ve got a crash.

Craig
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Craig
5 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

I watched this for years, as cars’ handling started improving, drivers’ confidence in driving at higher speeds in the turns increased along with it.
Add in the factor of improved braking and traction control, along with improved handling, and once the driver exceeds the capability of those devices, the driver and his passenger are generally traveling at a speed that will cause a really big world of hurt in a collision.

Jaekelopterus
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Jaekelopterus
5 years ago
Reply to  Craig

Let’s all go back to 1970’s safety standards! Where’s my Pinto?

Bikly
Guest
Bikly
5 years ago
Reply to  Mark

That’s extremely ignorant and this attitude is why Trinity doesn’t improve. Of course people will drive slower if there are more speed traps. You just have the Trinity county negative attitude and that’s what keeps people back in this area. So get your head out of the sand.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
5 years ago

>”… Trinity Dam Boulevard, Rush Creek, Lewiston, and Hyampom Roads, and Oregon Street. In addition to enhanced enforcement…”

‘Enhanced enforcement’ won’t do much good on those roads.
CHP will be ‘alone’ most of the time. They might run into another car every 15-30 minutes or so during daytime. Maybe a car every 30 minutes to an hour in the night.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
5 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

So what? Then watch for suicidal idiots driving like maniacs and bust ’em. Somebody is piling rigs up, obviously. Here’s an idea! Two Chippies park a few miles apart, hidden. Maniac flies by. Officer initiates pursuit or radios his/her partner down the road to intercept and follows up as back-up. Back each other up. Serve and protect. That’s what they’re paid for. Suck it up and tough it out. Save lives. Ckear out the riff-raff.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago

“Improper turning”? If that means turning while not using one’s turn signal then I’m not surprised that’s one of the leading causes of accidents around here. Use your turn signals people! It really doesn’t take much physical effort. And stop rolling through stop signs just so you can pull out in front of me then drive 10 mph below the speed limit for the next 10 miles.

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago

Slower 299 drivers need to use turnouts. I have no problem if someone wants drive 299 at 40-50mph, but don’t make the 10 drivers behind you drive the same speed… and, when you get to a passing lane it is NOT the time to accelerate to 60. Passing lanes are the places to allow faster drivers to pass… duh.

Slow, crappy, white-knuckled drivers create an anxiety for everyone held up by their slow driving, and sometimes these anxious drivers will make dangerous maneuvers to pass slow drivers. Use the damn turnouts. CHP enforce this law.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
5 years ago
Reply to  Ullr rover

Agreed. Slow drivers really do that shit on the 299 all the time. I don’t enjoy passing in the left lane but I also like being punctual.