Zero Tolerance: Sierra Vista Police Target Dangerous Driving

This week in Sierra Vista, a near-tragic accident happened a few blocks from my studio. A young girl and her brother were riding their bikes to school when a driver struck the girl as she was in the crosswalk.

Child Injured in Crosswalk Accident

The child was airlifted to a Tucson hospital, and thankfully, she's recovering. The shocking incident brought safety to the front of our minds.

READ MORE: Sierra Vista Bike Accident Injures Young Cyclist

Sierra Vista Police Respond to Traffic Safety Issues

Driving from Fort Huachuca to Hereford, or anywhere in between, you've probably noticed an increase in questionable driving habits.

We've all seen drivers who weave in and out of traffic on Highway 92. The Buffalo Solder Trail tailgaters, rushing to get to work. The motorist who pauses slightly before rolling through a stop sign in a Sierra Vista neighborhood.

Local police are responding as they roll out a traffic operation intended to slow down the increase in distracted and aggressive driving.

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Operation Crash Out: What You Need to Know

Beginning this week, Sierra Vista drivers will notice a stronger police presence during peak traffic hours. In partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the Sierra Vista Police Department (SVPD) is launching a detail they're calling Operation Crash Out.

According to the SVPD, this will be a two-week aggressive driving enforcement detail that will target high-risk behaviors across Sierra Vista.

Cpl. Scott Borgstadt of the Sierra Vista Police Department told me this detail had been planned prior to the incident with the cyclist; traffic safety officers are responding to the marked increase in road safety violations across the city.

SVPD's Zero Tolerance Initiative

If you're stopped for one of the following violations, save your breath. You likely won't be able to talk your way out of a ticket.

The operation is a zero-tolerance initiative, and it will focus on violations that, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), statistically lead to crashes and injuries.

SVPD has been instructed to "issue citations for violations that have a higher-than-average impact on community safety."

READ MORE about Traffic Safety in Cochise County: Are High-Speed Chases Threatening Safety on Arizona Streets?

Common Traffic Violations Targeted by SVPD

The violations the police will be looking out for include:

• Speeds 10+mph over the posted limit
• Failure to yield to pedestrians
• Failure to yield the right-of-way to other vehicles
• Red light and stop sign violations
• Improper turning violations (wide turns)
• Distracted driving
• Following too close (tailgating)
• Reckless and/or aggressive driving

Officers have been instructed to issue citations, not warnings, for drivers who are stopped for these infractions.

Arizona State Aggressive Driving Penalties Explained

Arizona Revised Statutes, ARS § 28-695, lists aggressive driving as a Class 1 misdemeanor. It's when "a driver commits multiple violations in a single incident that endanger others."

If you're cited for aggressive driving, you could get more than a traffic ticket. The ADOT website lists the following penalties for aggressive driving:

• First offense: You will be required to attend a Traffic Survival School course, and your license may be suspended for 30 days.
• Second and subsequent offenses: If you commit a second offense within 24 months, you're guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Your license will be revoked for 12 months.

SVPD’s Message to Drivers

As SVPD mentioned on the Sierra Vista Police, Fire, and EMS Facebook page: “You can’t help in an emergency if you don’t make it there.”