By Mary O’KEEFE

Although traffic has been lighter on local streets and freeways due to the pandemic, traffic issues have not gone away. Glendale police, California Highway Patrol, Angeles National Forest Law Enforcement and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. are all patrolling areas in an attempt to crack down on people who drive faster than posted speed limits or drive modified vehicles, as well as other traffic issues.

Sgt. Bateman, traffic sergeant for the Glendale Police Dept., said the department has received complaints.

“Our number one complaint is speed,” he said.

Other top complaints include modified exhaust systems and drivers abusing traffic stops.

Bateman added his department has to balance resources against complaints that come in. His motorcycle officers are out every day but there are 300 miles of the City of Glendale they must cover.

He does deploy volunteers who will go out to various areas and observe vehicles. They collect data on speeding and other traffic violations, allowing the department to use the gathered information to better deploy resources.

What officers are seeing now, in addition to speeding, are cars that have modified their exhaust system to make a lot of noise. Instead of autos being a classic “muscle car” they are Mercedes Benzes or Audis that have added the “cackle” that in the past was related to “hot rods.”

Bateman said he understands these types of cars create issues for residents, especially if they are traveling up and down local streets, but those drivers are not normally involved in traffic collisions. Local accidents, according to Bateman, usually involve older drivers whose reflexes may be slower.

Speed is often a factor of traffic collisions too. Street racers, as well as those who are just driving too fast, are on every street and freeway but, in Glendale, Brand and Glenoaks boulevards are two streets where officers see more speeding.

Street racing or drivers who are in some type of speed contest create dangerous issues for other drivers and pedestrians. Cars swerve around other vehicles as they race down the road.

The California Highway Patrol does have a division-wide task force that specifically deals with street racing. They have made numerous arrests due to street racing that include impounding vehicles belonging to spectators, according to reports.

LASD reported that last month deputies from the Crescenta Valley Station and ANF Law Enforcement worked together along the Angeles Crest Highway and ANF to enforce vehicle code violations. During the month they issued over 30 citations for various offenses.

“Parking laws along Big Tujunga Canyon Road were enforced. Some of the equipment violations included no license plates and exhaust modifications requiring a smog referee inspection. Many of the moving violations included crossing double yellow lines, following too closely, and speed. One driver was cited for doing 80 MPH in a 55 MPH zone while another was cited for over 90 MPH. Lastly, several drivers were cited for doing ‘donuts’ and subsequently had their vehicles towed,” according to LASD.

Law enforcement encourages anyone who is concerned about traffic safety to call 9-1-1 if they feel they or others are in immediate danger or, in Glendale, call (818) 548-4911; in the unincorporated areas of LA County/La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge, call (818) 248-3484 or for local streets in the unincorporated areas of LA County/La Crescenta and freeways, contact the Altadena CHP office at (626) 296-8100.

  Mary Okeefe