Citations handed out Monday

Carson City deputies were out in force Monday, handing out citations for potential accident-causing offenses.

Approximately 30 citations were issued between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to errant drivers at intersections known to be hot spots for accidents. According to officers involved in the effort, most infractions were for failing to yield to a driver. Others were for running stop signs and red lights.

"A lot of the problem is driver inattention," said sheriff's Deputy Dave Bobbitt. "Carson has a lot of problems with accidents. People follow too closely and don't have enough time to stop."

He was positioned with a view of Fifth and Roop streets.

Bobbitt said in four years of dealing with Carson City drivers, he has seen problems like road rage and speeding on the increase. Several drivers cited Monday pulled in front of oncoming cars to make a left turn at the intersection.

The problem becomes more prominent as the weather turns sour in fall.

"People with four-wheel drives are especially bad," Bobbitt said. "When the snow falls people don't know to slow down. On the ice it doesn't matter if you have four-wheel drive."

Deputy Sheriff John Zsenyuk cited eight drivers between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.

During a four-hour period at the Long and Roop streets intersection, he witnessed the driver of a cargo truck bounce through the intersection after running a red light, and a woman cut in front of an oncoming car with less than 50 feet to spare. Both drivers were cited.

During a normal shift, officers are spread thin because they are responding to emergency calls, Zsenyuk said. Normally, an officer will hand out only one or two citations in a day.

Monday's crackdown was funded by a state grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. Approximately $10,000 was allocated for similar projects from now until September 2001, said Sgt. Wade Penegor. The officers on duty are paid overtime so that regular patrols can continue during the enforcement hours.

The money will be stretched through the next year, allowing the department to run one citation sting operation a month. "It's strictly for accident reduction," Penegor said.

The department said the grant is designed to achieve the following in the next year:

-- To increase the percentage of drivers arrested for drunken driving

-- To maintain a zero-fatality rate for drinking-related accidents

-- To increase the use of child safety seats by 20 percent

-- To reduce injuries and fatalities at selected sites by 20 percent

-- To increase the use of seat belts, as required by law