Danville Police to conduct saturation traffic enforcement in target areas

DANVILLE – Police say they will be conducting saturated traffic enforcement in areas that have recently seen a recent increase of traffic collisions in town.

Danville’s Chief of Police Allan Shields addressed the Department’s plan for traffic enforcement in a recent message to the community: “Our analysis has shown that the majority of the collisions were concentrated in the downtown and Camino Tassajara areas. Not surprisingly, many were caused by excessive speed, red light or stop sign violations and inattention, Shields said.

As the previous Chief of Police, Steve Simpkins, said earlier in the year, the town has seen an increase in accidents. Shields renewed this statistic,  saying, “in the past year, our Traffic Unit has seen a slight increase in the number of accidents on our streets. It’s not a huge increase, but it’s one we’re interested in reversing.”

Shields said enforcement will focus on speed, red light and cell phone violators in the target areas. “I firmly believe that a successful saturation patrol would end with no tickets written because that would mean no one was speeding, everyone was stopping at stop signs and lights, and no one was using their cell phones while driving.”

Danville had two fatal accidents this summer. A man died after suffering a medical emergency and crashing into a utility pole on Stone Valley Road last month. In June, a 21-year-old motorcyclist died when he crashed at the intersection of Camino Tassajara and Sycamore Valley Road. The cause of the solo motorcycle accident was determined to be an “unsafe lane change,” according to investigators.