A revved-up public-information campaign, more police patrols and plain old bad publicity probably helped cut the traffic deaths in Weld County last year nearly by half, officials say.
The number of fatalities in the county dropped from a record high 92 in 2004 to 48 in 2005. The decline heartens law officers who still see Weld County as a dangerous place to drive if motorists suddenly forget the safety messages sent out last year.
“You look at the history and you see that fatality rates have always been up and down in Weld County,” said Capt. Paul Matzke of the Colorado State Patrol in Greeley.
The State Patrol monitored the Weld portion of Interstate 25 heavily, helping to bring down the fatality and injury rate among motorists by 8 percent over the past two years. Motorists also paid more attention to the headlines generated by the heavy fatality rate of 2004, Matzke said.
“There was a lot of press given to the fatalities, and that got people thinking,” he said.
The Weld County Sheriff’s Department also added four more people to its patrol division, and deputies handed out twice as many warning tickets, said Ken Poncelow, commander in charge of traffic for the department.
“Most counties will stop you if you are going 10 to 12 miles per hour over the speed limit, but my guys will stop you if you are going as low as 8 over the speed limit,” Poncelow said.
The warning ticket comes with a lecture about Weld’s fatality history and the responsibility of drivers, he said, adding that deputies have increased patrols at intersections where many accidents happen in the county.
The county has also launched several campaigns in local schools, including one in which $5 gift cards are given to students spotted wearing seat belts. Elementary students are also being asked to put pressure on parents to buckle up, Poncelow said.
“If we can educate people about ways to avoid accidents, then they will do it automatically without the officer being there to remind them,” he said.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
