Petaluma police will be conducting a specialized motorcycle safety enforcement operation this Saturday, with extra officers on the look out for drivers and motorcycle riders under the influence or driving dangerously.
Funding for the operation comes from a California Office of Traffic Safety grant and does not utilize any general fund monies.
Since Petaluma began holding special enforcement operations in 2009, motorcycle collisions in town have decreased 68 percent, according to Petaluma traffic sergeant Ken Savano.
Traffic enforcement continues to be a high priority for the department because many more people die in car and motorcycle accidents than through acts of violence.
Over the past 25 years, 40 Petalumans have been killed in traffic collisions compared to 17 in criminal acts of violence.
California collision data reveals that primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes include speeding, unsafe turning and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs.
The Petaluma Police Department is also reminding all motorists to always be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and changing lanes.
