The Public Safety Commission and local sheriff’s station urge citizens and visitors to follow rules and drive safe, especially with the advancement of the busy summer season.
By Vicky Shere / Special to the Malibu Times
According to a state Office of Traffic Safety report provided by the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, Malibu ranked No. 1 in total traffic victims killed and injured in 2005.
The report, the latest ranking available, lists Malibu as the worst out of 104 cities in its population category based on daily vehicle miles traveled.
Malibu was also the second worst city for victims killed and injured in alcohol-involved collisions; first in alcohol-involved collisions for drivers age 21 to 34; ninth for bicyclists killed and injured; first in speed-related collisions; and second in nighttime collisions, the report states.
With these statistics in mind and the growing summer crowds heightening concern, Malibu’s Public Safety Commission asked Lt. Debra Glafkides, Malibu’s liaison for the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, and The Malibu Times to spotlight driving safety.
Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and unsafe turns are the biggest culprits in crashes, Glafkides said in an interview with the Times.
Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu’s main thoroughfare, has long stretches of open, straight road, which invites freeway speeds rather than the 45 mph posted throughout most of the city.
“PCH is a highway in a city,” Glafkides said. “The collisions we see are mostly of freeway magnitude.”
Most speeding occurs in the western part of the city, traffic investigator deputy John Caffrey said. Newbury Park High School student Cody James Murphy, who was 17, was driving at 90 mph near Broad Beach Road in April when his car hit a mountainside, killing him and injuring four others.
In an effort to slow motorists down, the city has paid for radar equipment on sheriff’s motorcycles, complementing radar already in their cars, Glafkides said.
Beach traffic increases accidents
Summer beachgoers mean more illegal U-turns and increased canyon traffic.
The majority of collisions occur near Malibu Pier, Caffrey said. Vehicles merge from driveways of homes and residences lining the street or people abruptly cross the highway to nab a vacant parking space.
Caffrey urged people to get to the beach before 2 p.m. and/or pay for parking. “When you pay for parking, you’re less likely to be the victim of a hit and run, and it’s safer to walk,” Caffrey said.
A perennial problem at Zuma Beach is the temporary median barrier known as “candlesticks.” The white markers, spaced about a foot apart, are confusing to people who don’t know that they’re there to deter prohibited U-turns, indicated by the four solid yellow lines in the center of the highway. They’re also far enough apart for drivers to make the illegal U-turn.
The California Department of Transportation, which installed the candlesticks last summer, recently told the Public Safety Commission that the earliest a more effective barrier, such as the “Quick Curb” outside Geoffrey’s Restaurant, would be funded would be the fiscal year beginning July 2009.
While both Malibu Canyon and Kanan Dume roads are routes to the sea, Kanan Dume presents more of a problem, Caffrey said. Signs at the 101/Ventura Highway states that Kanan Dume is a beach route, even as other signs on the road limit truck traffic between the 101 and Newton Canyon, and between Cavalleri and Pacific Coast Highway. Kanan Dume at Pacific Coast Highway has been the scene of many horrific accidents, including the fiery crash Oct. 24, 2007, which killed Malibu resident William H. Weissberg and the driver of the truck that lost control and slammed into Weissberg’s car.
To combat the onslaught of beach traffic, the city pays for an additional patrol car and three motorcycles from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while the County of Los Angeles is continuing to fund Operation Safe Canyons, a joint operation of Malibu/Lost Hills deputies and the California Highway Patrol, Glafkides said.
DUI a persistent problem
Driving under the influence is a consistent problem, Glafkides said. Alcohol found on beaches within city limits is confiscated and destroyed. A no tolerance policy of alcohol on the beach, backed up by a fine of up to $500 and/or imprisonment in county jail for a period of up to six months, has resulted in a dramatic drop in the thousands of people violating the law during the summer, deputies said.
During the June through August reporting period in 2007, 1,778 citations were issued, compared to the 2,162 citations issued in 2006, a 17.8 percent decrease, said crime analyst deputy Louise Ramirez in a telephone interview.
“People now understand that when they bring alcohol on the beach, they will be cited,” said beach team head Sgt. Joshua Thai.
But driving under the influence means more than alcohol, Glafkides said. Medicines whose warnings say, “Don’t operate heavy machinery,” should be avoided.
“It’s important for people to take responsibility when they drive, which includes being in the appropriate condition to operate a vehicle,” Glafkides said. “That includes health issues.”
For example, the fatality near John Tyler Drive several weeks ago is being considered the result of a medical condition, pending coroner findings, Glafkides said.
Driver distraction
Driver distraction is another cause of traffic accidents. The driver of the truck that crashed into the hillside near Big Rock at the end of March, tying up traffic for hours, was distracted, Glafkides said.
To combat such distractions, two laws on using cell phones while driving go into effect July 1. One prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle, while the second prohibits persons under the age of 18 to use a handheld or wireless phone while driving, according to the CHP.
Whether one is merely inconvenienced by a traffic snarl or is suffering the unspeakable loss of a loved one, every accident on Pacific Coast Highway serves as a reminder that streets are only as safe as motorists who drive them, Carol Randall, Public Safety Commission chair, said.
“Everyone needs to remember rules of the road, particularly now that the summer crowds are here,” Randall, whose son-in-law was killed by a speeding motorist in front of her Pacific Coast Highway home, said. “Excess speed, illegal U-turns, and distracted drivers are all causes of accidents. The Public Safety Commission feels that spotlighting some of these problems can only help to make this a safer summer.”