Petaluma police will have their laser speed guns out Friday in an effort to get drivers to drive at safe speeds.

The five officers will target drivers on the city’s main streets from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., focusing on roads with a high frequently of speed-related collisions, Police Sgt. Ken Savano said.

He said the operation, funded by the state Office of Traffic Safety, isn’t aimed at ticketing drivers who are not absolutely sticking to the speed limit but at those who are driving at an unsafe speed, whether it’s faster or slower than the speed limit.

He explained that if it’s foggy or the roads are wet, it may not be safe to go the speed limit. Or if there are pedestrians along the shoulder of a road. On the other hand, he said, if weather and traffic conditions are ideal, it’s unlikely an officer would cite a driver for going just a bit faster than the speed limit.

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