In an ongoing effort to end traffic fatalities and curb unsafe driving in Sonoma County, the Department of Transportation and Public Works (TPW) has rolled out a new series of warning signs for segments of local roadway identified as known trouble spots.
Initiated last year with a trio of cryptic, eye-catching signs, this year’s traffic safety education signs were again printed in bold black and white, and read “W2F!,” “Way 2 Fast!,” and “Slow Down Sonoma County.”
The signs are meant to remind drivers of the hazards of unsafe and aggressive driving and to support the county’s Vision Zero Program, which aims to achieve a goal of zero fatalities and severe injuries on the labyrinth of roads crisscrossing the county’s 1,768 square miles.
“This education campaign seeks to raise awareness about impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving and the collisions and fatalities that can result,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Combined with the efforts in traffic engineering and our partnership with law enforcement, we hope residents take notice and take care to safeguard themselves and one another when traveling on our roads.”
Since January 2015, more than 200 “speed zones” have been recertified by TPW, with more than 80 new or revised speed zones adopted by the Board of Supervisors in January of 2019 in support of speed limit enforcement by the California Highway Patrol. TPW has two radar feedback trailers available to be deployed in locations where unsafe and aggressive driving has been noted by residents and the California Highway Patrol.
According to CHP Lt. Christine Jacobs, the agency issued more than 7,900 speeding tickets on Sonoma County roads in 2020. Speeding was deemed to be the cause of three traffic-related fatalities during the same period.
Further information on the traffic safety education campaign is available at 565-2231, or by emailing TPW@Sonoma-County.org.
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