Anywhere between 150 to 287 Manteca motorists may be getting tickets for moving violations today.
That’s based on previous Saturation Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) efforts like the one taking place today on Manteca’s streets.
The Manteca Police Department is partnering with local traffic enforcement units from Tracy, Ripon, Lodi, San Joaquin County, Lathrop, Stockton and the California Highway Patrol to enforce California Vehicle Code violations and promote responsible driving.
More than two dozen officers will be involved in today’s STEP effort aimed at reducing vehicle collisions and unsafe driving on Manteca roadways.
The most tickets issued in a one-day during a STEP effort in Manteca was 287 in 2019.
The most recent STEP endeavor in Lathrop saw 220 issued while the Ripon saturation patrol last March ended with 139 tickets written,
Enforcement will focus on ticketing drivers violating vehicle code violations that frequently cause more than 1,000 traffic collisions annually on Manteca’s streets.
Such violations include unsafe speed, right-of-way violations, impaired driving, unsafe turning movements, stop sign violations and hands-on cell phone use.
Redlight camera system update
The 30-day warning period for red light violators at the Daniels Street and Airport Way intersection ends on Monday, March 17.
After that, those caught running red lights by the camera and radar system that was recently installed will receive $490 tickets.
The red light cameras at Northgate Drive and Main Street were activated March 5. The grace period will end the first week of April. That’s when motorists will start getting tickets instead of warnings in the mail when they are caught running a red light.
Other intersections where red light cameras are being installed include:
• Commerce Way/Northwoods Avenue and Yosemite Avenue
• Union Road and West Yosemite Avenue
• North Main Street and East Louise Avenue
“We want the public to know how seriously we take this growing issue (or red light running),” noted Manteca Police Chief Stephen Schluer. “(The) warning period will give our community plenty of time to change their driving behavior before risking fines.”
Driving the decision by the Manteca City Council to install red light cameras was a need to make city streets safer.
Manteca has 1,000 traffic collisions in a given year of which 20 percent were caused by running a red light.
If you think the $490 ticket is expensive, insurance company data from 2022 shows that moderate intersection collisions cost an average $7,000 plus just in repair bills assuming no one is injured.
The $7,000 figure is from three years ago and, as usual, is lower than it would cost in California.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
