The numbers are clear: Manteca’s streets aren’t as safe to drive, bicycle or walk as they were 14 years ago.

There were six deaths on city streets in 2022. That’s twice the homicide deaths.

Accidents overall hit 1,080. It was 8.55 less than in 2021 although it was still the second highest year for accidents serious enough that a Manteca Police Department report was involved.

The 14-year trend in Manteca from 2009 to 2022 underscores just how perilous travel is on city streets.

*Population is up 36 percent going from 65,953 in 2009 to just under 90,000 in 2022.

*Accidents are up 60 percent going from 675 in 2009 to 1,080 in 2014.

*Moving violations — tickets issued for actions that contribute to the lion’s share of accidents — were down 40 percent  going from 2,511 in 2009 to 1,507 in 2022.

Typically, the number of vehicles in Manteca increases proportionately to population growth.

That not been the case for police officers assigned primarily to traffic or overall police staffing for that matter.

There were 72 officers in 2008 with 5 assigned to the traffic unit.

Then in 2009, the Great Recession that triggered a massive loss in property taxes to support municipal services, the police department was cut down to 55 with 3 officers assigned to traffic.

Today, Manteca has 76 sworn officers with 5 officers assigned to the traffic unit.

There were 182 injury accidents in Manteca last year where at least one driver/passenger were injured enough to require transportation to a hospital emergency room. That is down from 211 injury accidents in 2021.

Overall accidents were down 8.55 percent last year compared to 2021.

Manteca’s accident count of 1,181 in 2021 was up from 958 in 2020.

Last year marked the third time the annual accident tally in Manteca has exceeded 1,000.

Keep in mind these are accidents where Manteca Police fill out reports and not fender benders.

And while the city doesn’t track financial losses due to traffic accidents, it is not difficult to frame the 2.95 accidents that happened on a daily basis in 2022 to warrant a response from Manteca Police as being more costly to citizens than crime.

Based on data posted by Bankrate for 2020, the property loses alone from a typical collision is $8,275. The average for accidents where there is bodily injury another $18,417 of costs is incurred.

Using the average for property losses alone and not adding for bodily injury the 1,080 accidents in 2022 in Manteca represented a loss of at least $10  million.

By comparison there was $6.8 million worth of property stolen in Manteca in 2022 with $3.4 million being recovered. That reflects a net loss of property via crime of $3.4 million.

It means traffic accidents created financial losses almost three times higher than losses from crime in Manteca during 2022.

Moving violations are the most egregious traffic violations that have a direct impact on accidents — speeding, failing to yield, running red lights and rolling through stop signs.

Tickets issued for such violations last year were down 40 percent from the 2,511 that was written in 2009.

Manteca in 2022 issued 1,793 tickets for parking violations, 757 tickets for  on-moving violations, 16 tickets for seat belt violations and 650 for all other violations.

That said reducing moving violations are considered key to reducing accidents.

Proponents of beefing up the traffic division contend it is the most effective way at reducing accidents as the “education/enforcement process” that pulls over and “educates” moving violation offenders by issuing a ticket or “educating” by giving them a warning has an impact on those who slip into bad habits. Clearly not all drivers can be “educated” into modifying how they drive.

Manteca is still lagging in terms of dedicated traffic enforcement manpower.

 If staffing were simply based on numeric ratio considerations, Manteca has a staffing deficit of 1½ traffic officers. At any rate the Manteca City Council has not increased traffic division staffing levels beyond what they were at in 2008.

A significant number of street miles have been added since 2008 as well.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com