'Most accidents in this community are just fender benders. But ... an accident can be a financial disaster for a family'
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
This week, the Hays Police Department launched a new program aimed at reducing the number of accidents at problem locations in Hays.
Chief Don Scheibler said during the program officers will be onsite at places that are known for a high volume of traffic or accidents.
"The program is called the Priority Traffic Enforcement Area Program," he said. "The goal of the program is to help educate the public on safe driving habits to gain voluntary compliance through enforcement action. And to make communities safer by reducing the number of accidents."
The program will rely on officers located at those areas, but Scheibler said, education is also an important component.
"The education portion we're going to try and use our social media to push out locations where we're going to be at, locations of things we're watching for, and how they can people can safely operate their vehicles," he said.
Along with the education portion, Scheibler said ensuring drivers are more cautious can reduce traffic accidents.
"I'm absolutely confident (that if) we get people to stop for stop signs," he said, "slow down, turn in the right lane, use turn signals ... we can reduce the number of accidents."
Priority areas will be selected by the patrol supervisors based on criteria that include the accident volumes, high traffic areas public and resident complaints and officer recommendations.
Scheibler said officers will be assigned to selected areas daily and those officers will be proactive, including looking for distracted drivers.
"Distracted driving in the city Hays is the new DUI," Scheibler said. "People driving under the influence used to be our biggest challenge. ... People are on their cellphones, people are looking at their Facebook messages or their app messages and text messages and not paying attention to driving at every one of these locations. Those are things we'll be looking at."
Scheibler said the roundabout is a good example, as they have recently seen an uptick in accidents in the peanut roundabout.
"That's been the big thing for me and the roundabout," he said "We put an officer up there in the middle of the roundabout and everybody obeys the traffic laws. Everybody's extra careful going through there, and we don't have any problems. It's when we leave and we have an unmarked set up there. And now people are failing to yield not paying attention. And that's how we have accidents.
"So it's an indication to me that people are just choosing not to obey the law, they're either not yielding when they're supposed to yield or they're changing lanes when they are not supposed to change lanes. So we have to educate them."
In the case of the roundabouts, Scheibler said they released a video on social media last week showing how to correctly navigate the roundabout.
"We put out a video last week to educate (the public) on those things," he said. "So we'll try and educate them through social media and release some information. But we're also going to be out there in those areas, enforcing the traffic laws. I think that that's how you get that voluntary compliance, knowing there are consequences for choosing not to obey the law. And there are consequences. You can get a ticket, but also more likely to be involved in an accident."
He attributes accidents there to vehicle speed, and drivers not yielding to enter the roundabout.
"There's a maximum speed limit posted up there," Scheibler said. "That's the maximum speed limit. That's not the minimum. So nobody says they have to go that fast.
"They either supposed to yield coming in there either and slow down, prepare to stop or stop, if necessary. So they're already supposed to be slowing down, going in the roundabout. I do think part of the problem is people try and take those as fast as they can. And they try and move through there. I do think if, like any anywhere — state highway, interstate, wherever — if people slow down a little bit, we'd have less accidents."
Improper lane changes, he said, are also a factor in that location, causing accidents.
Two other locations were identified as problematic and will be a focus for officers during the program's rollout, Allen and 13th and the construction zone near 27th and Hall.
"We've had several injury accidents this year four or five of them actually," Scheibler said of 13th and Allen. "And time and time again, it's people failing to yield to stop signs. Sometimes they stop for it, but then they try and shoot across. That is not an intersection that you can just stop and go, you got to pay attention. Traffic on both sides and vehicle parking on both sides makes it difficult to see sometimes. So really, you have to look and make sure that no vehicles are coming. If you just look and go, there's a good chance the vehicle coming down the road, is being blocked by one on the street. ... So you really have to take your time at that intersection."
The program is underway now and Scheibler said no end date has been set.
"We're going to be up there whenever we can, or the locations will be designated by the patrol supervisor. ... In these areas, we will put out notices to the community that will be in those areas. And then we'll start putting education information out to officers to be out there enforcing the policies."
And while the program is new, Scheibler said traffic enforcement is always a priority for the department.
"We know that when we get people to drive safely we reduce accidents in this community," he said. "An accident doesn't sound like a big deal. A fender bender, that's it. Most accidents in this community are just fender benders. But the reality is, an accident can be a financial disaster for a family. A single mom trying to raise kids trying to get her kids to school and she has an accident and the car is disabled. She can't get the kids to school. She can't get to work, can't go pick up groceries. Those are all life-changing events — because a lot of times, somebody just chose not to follow the law."