Santa Rosa Police Officer Jeff Adams waited on his motorcycle, tucked in an out-of-the-way spot, as he watched traffic go by at Santa Rosa Avenue and Third Street.
The intersection this week is getting extra attention from the city’s motorcycle officers because it’s one of a couple of dozen intersections that last year were rated as the most dangerous because they had the most accidents. Santa Rosa at Third was tied for seventh worst with nine collisions.
For Adams, he had just ridden back to his stakeout post after chasing down and ticketing a driver who had been on his cell phone but wasn’t hands free. Amazingly, it was the driver’s second cell-phone ticket in less than two hours from a Santa Rosa officer.
“Sometimes people don’t learn,” Adams said. But he said the driver conceded he was “a little embarrassed.”
The fine for a first cell-phone violation is $160 in Sonoma County, after you include all of the extra county and state fees. It jumps to $280 for subsequent violations, according to local court officials. It was an expensive day for that driver.
Cell-phone violations are just one of many that the motorcycle officers look for when they monitor the dangerous intersections — a different one each week — as part of a special enforcement program that Adams coordinates. Other common violations are speeding, running red lights or lane violations.
Adams said many drivers don’t understand that “you have to be completely hands free” when using your cell phone while driving. Some drivers — unsuccessfully — try to get out of a ticket by explaining they were holding the phone but were using the speaker instead of holding it to their ear.
Adams said a favorite technique of drivers who spot a cop while holding their cell phone is to suddenly pretend to be shaving with it — “last week I swear I saw a woman doing it.”
As he talked, another motorcycle officer, Steve Dineen, with Adams suddenly roared off after a car — another cell phone ticket.
Adams said Santa Rosa at Third “makes me nervous,” noting “my partner and I almost got killed” there while riding through on duty. A car turning left cut in front of them and then almost drove into Adams, he said.
And before Adams could finish his next sentence, he brought his bike to life, yelled “I’ll be back” and took off down the sidewalk, off the curb and west down Third Street as he chased down yet another cell-phone violator.
To see the list of Santa Rosa’s most dangerous intersections, CLICK HERE.
glaoglad
Good job, motorcycle enforcers! idiot drivers make it risky for pedestrians
to get across the street in one piece, so your heavy enforcement at 3rd, fourth and Mendocino intersections is MUCH welcomed. For those who complain about “heavy” enforcement, HAHAHAHAHAH—drive safely, fool.
April 1st, 2011 11:19 am
Erik
I have noticed that there are many drivers in Santa Rosa not aware of the rights of pedestrians at crosswalks. Please ask the officers to make drivers in Santa Rosa aware of the laws protecting pedestrians. It is very dangerous to be a pedestrian when I walk downtown. thanks
April 1st, 2011 12:24 pm
george
“Almost got killed” Please! He didn’t even get hit. Let’s all stop the hyperbole!
April 1st, 2011 12:54 pm
Seth937
I’m glad they are there. I just don’t understand why people don’t get it with cell phones, especially when you can add one to your car for the price of those two tickets! Even better, for a fraction of the ticket you can buy one for your ear from Target or Wal Mart or almost anywhere for less than $50.
And George, the only hyper anything around here is you. You don’t have to be hit to almost die, genius….but I’m sure you already knew that.
April 1st, 2011 1:19 pm
nic alberico
‘Took off down the sidewalk’? I haven’t had a run in with police on motorcycles here in Santa Rosa but as we were walking out of the Roxie one day after a matinee’ we were nearly run down by two officers on bicycles and then given a stern look as if it were our fault. That, to me is dangerous not to mention the attitude. Just sayin’.
April 3rd, 2011 11:17 am
Safedriver
Nic and George, right on. The SRPD lost control on traffic years ago and everyone knows it. Now drivers do what the heck they want because odds are they’ll never have to answer for it. I think they must still believe they’ve got a grip on traffic. I rarely see a cop on the road and if I do they are not enforcing anything, too busy on their cellphones I guess or parking on sidewalks. lol
April 4th, 2011 4:26 pm
Hook026
If they are so interested in public safety and visibility then they dont need to be “tucked into an out of the way spot” or hidden in their “stake out spot”…park right at the intersection, in plain sight.. Its not about educating the public. public safety, etc. its all about money for the city, county, state.
April 10th, 2011 2:06 pm
L. Fiske
How about ticketing all the people who continue to turn left on a now red arrow? Several times I have witnessed this with police waiting at another light and yet they did nothing. At highway 12 & Mission I see people running the red left turn arrow almost daily.
May 8th, 2011 7:26 am
Katrina L.
I just put my cell phone on speaker and put it on my breasts. It’s hands free and they are big enough to hold the phone and talk with out any problems. I am sure the SRPD would find some reason to write me a ticket anyway.
June 19th, 2011 10:01 am
Charles F. Redd Jr
People don’t even try to rush when they are running red lights. And it is not just the first guy through, it is 2 or 3 afterwards! It is amazing how blase they are while truckin on through the red. I wish the police would really crackdown on this dangerous habit.
June 19th, 2011 8:57 pm
bob m
I highly recommend public transportation for those who can use it. The busses are clean, the drivers are friendly and the price is reasonable. It requires a little more planning and may take a little more time but the more I use it, the better I like it.
July 10th, 2011 6:14 am
jan
I have seen SO MANY TIMES: Cops talking on cell phones while they drive
July 24th, 2011 12:42 pm
Masis
I think the hands free cell phone law is quite stupid. There is no study to say it decreases accidents. Morevoer, are people hands free when tuning the radio or playing the CD. I also saw a man eating a whole pizza while driving on the freeway. He wasn’t using a cell phone. I think the trouble is having people be distracted that causes accidents, not hands “occupied” or hands free.
Also they created a rule that is hard to enforce. It’s quite hard to see inside the car and that’s why people are breaking the law.
As for the traffic police in Santa Rosa. They situation has gotten out of control. There are cops all over the place trying to make a buck. I have heard people getting pulled over for going 3 mph over the speed limit and other such ridiculous citings. I know they have more cops cause the city is strapped for cash. Well the bureaucrats have a smart idea. Milk the poor citizens for more cash so they can’t pay for rent, mortgage, etc and have the economy worsten. Then the city will get even less cash as people won’t own or buy anthing to get taxed. When is this cycle gonna end?
July 31st, 2011 12:28 am
Que
The cell phone law is sensible and needed. There needs to also be attention paid to those who are also distracted while driving and reading, eating, applying make-up, dealing with children (aren’t they supposed to be in special seats?).
My personal beef is the poor signage that name streets at intersections ( too small lettering or obscured by tree branches) and address number not in plane view.
The bike cops downtown are too full of themselves.
October 2nd, 2011 10:46 am
Bill
Since when is driving down the sidewalk and off the curb legal. The trafic supervisors need to instruct their officers the law applies to them. If getting to an out of sight position means the officer must break the law he shouldn’t do it. Also I had a Sheriff deputiy behing me for almost 10 minutes; he was following at an unsafe distance for most of that time. Also frequently see unsafe lane changes w/o signalling, stopping beyond the crosswalk line, etc. by patrol cars on a regular basis. This does not encouage drivers to obey the law.
November 13th, 2011 10:35 am
wickywacky
“”"The SRPD lost control on traffic years ago and everyone knows it. Now drivers do what the heck they want because odds are they’ll never have to answer for it. I think they must still believe they’ve got a grip on traffic.”"”
Since when is it the job of SRPD to “control” traffic? Since when is it the job of SRPD to have “a grip on traffic?” Be serious. You’re noting how frequently drivers violate the laws and then blame the police? LOL. You’re probably the first to complain about a “heavy police presence” yet you complain about lack of SRPD traffic enforcement. What do you want, a shoot-to-kill policy for speeding? Stop blaming the police and blame the people who have shitty driving habits. Don’t know another way to describe it.
November 27th, 2011 3:44 pm
Bob Pedestrian
WHOA SLOW DOWN HERE PEOPLE… let’s think about this for a second. We have someone committing a minor infraction ( cell phone to ear- by the way which has been legal since the inception of cell phones but recently changed) – then we have a COP on a HEAVY motorcycle, off in a corner, hiding, then sees this serious dangerous felony in progress (cell phone violator) so he fires up his huge motorcycle, revs the motor, pops it into gear nearly pulls a wheelie and drives across a SIDEWALK (nearly striking pedestrians) and hops the curb (more serious violation) and races down the street (endangering other pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorist) – speeding- reckless driving , lights flashing, and sirens blaring- to do what? uh huh, catch a cell phone user? I am all in favor of enforcing this law- but get out of the bushes and patrol the streets and pull up next to them and just pull them over. Why all the risk for this type of enforcement??? Plain stupid. This is like CHP OFFICER who was racing over 100 MPH on Hwy 12, then violently crashed into another driver all because of a group of “protesters” at DMV? Of course his brothers in law enforcement blamed it on someone else. There is a balance between enforcement and a common sense. I wish they would consider hiring officers after they turned 40- so they would be calm and have life experience. IN fact, I wish they would just hire female officers who are calmer and would not drive like this. When was the last time you saw a female cop driving like this? Never.
December 4th, 2011 10:07 am