KITTITAS COUNTY TRAFFIC SAFETY TASK FORCE

Melanie Hopkins, Coordinator PO Box 881, 104 West 5th Ave. Ellensburg, WA 98926 Phone: (509) 962-9775 Cell: (509) 929-2711 Fax: (509) 962-9774 Email: hopkinsm@elltel.net, kcsafekids@elltel.net

The Kittitas County Traffic Safety Task Force is coordinated by Melanie Hopkins. The task force works on a variety of projects in the county and collaborates with local organizations and law enforcement to help promote safe driving and educate citizens on pedestrian and traffic safety issues. Below are highlights of a few of activities.

Programs and Activities:

• Child Safety Seat Inspection Station:
  The Safe Kids Kittitas County Chapter operates a Child Safety Seat Inspection each week by appointment. More than 300 child safety seats are inspected and approximately 200 seats are replaced and/or distributed annually at the weekly event held at Kittitas County Fire Station #2, a partnering agency. Funding for replacement seats is provided by National Safe Kids, WA Traffic Safety Commission, WA Safety Restraint Coalition, South Central Region EMS, and fees collected at a monthly traffic safety class.
  
  
• DUI Task Force – Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws:
  The Kittitas County DUI Task Force operates under the current leadership of Sgt. Steve Panattoni, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Department. All county law enforcement agencies; Central WA University PD, City of Ellensburg PD, City of Kittitas PD, Cle Elum-Roslyn PD, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, and WA State Patrol, along with a Liquor Enforcement Officer from WA Liquor Control Board, participate to provide enforcement. This team works together on a variety of local, state, and federally funded activities including DOTS, Drive Hammered Get Nailed, Click It or Ticket, and the Kittitas-Vantage Highway Safety Corridor Project.
  
  Beginning this past year, the DUI Task Force serves as the enforcement team for the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws work funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This project includes DUI Patrols, Underage Party Dispersals, and Shoulder Tap Operations. On the first weekend kicking off a 5 weekend emphasis campaign this fall the following citations were written: 11 DUI, 51 MIP, 13 Open Container, 5 Drug Related Arrests, 2 Sales of Alcohol to Minors, 2 Access to Alcohol to Minors, and 1 Alcohol Overdose.
  
  
• Kittitas-Vantage Highways Traffic Safety Corridor Project:
  The Kittitas-Vantage Highways Traffic Safety Corridor consists of 12.73 miles of two-lane county routes between the cities of Ellensburg and Kittitas. The goal of the project is to reduce the number and severity of crashes on the Corridor through the combination of enforcement, education, and engineering improvements. The leading causes of crashes on the corridor are: Speeding, Inattention, Failure to Yield, Improper Passing, and Disregarding Stop Signs. Additionally, with the rapid residential growth on the Kittitas and Vantage Highways which share more than 10,000 vehicles per day, issues related to access and driveways are increasing.
  
  
• SASS - Student Advocates for Safe Situations:
  SASS is a youth coalition/club that was founded in spring 2005 by a teen Traffic Safety Team member as a vehicle for peer education. Currently in operation at Ellensburg High School, SASS members have identified the following focus areas for the 2006-07 year: DUI, Substance Use/Abuse, and Underage Drinking Prevention.
  
   
  

Resource Links:

• Ellensburg Police - http://www.ci.ellensburg.wa.us/publicsafety/police.cfm
• Kittitas County Sheriff - http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/sheriff/default.asp
• Local & National Safe Kids Website: http://www.safekids.org/
  Email: kcsafekids@elltel.net
• NHTSA Motor Vehicle Traffic Safety Facts - Kittitas County
  
  

Photo Gallery:

Kittitas Photo 1 - A safer customer after a visit to the Safe Kids Child Safety Seat Inspection Station and a little advice from technician, Jessica Leavitt.

Kittitas Photo 2 - This collision occurred on the Kittitas-Vantage Highway Corridor in October 2005. Caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol, the crash happened on a weekday afternoon and left the driver of the above vehicle, Del Heistand, with permanent physical injuries.