Speeders Seen On Streets Emptied By Coronavirus Shelter Order
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- If it seems to you that people are driving faster during the coronavirus shelter-in-place order, you're not alone.
"I feel like they're just taking advantage of the situation, you know speed racer, less cars on the road, let me open her up," said Jennifer Peterson of San Jose.
Some drivers said they feel less safe.
"You gotta really watch and be careful because they're coming around this corner so fast, you don't want to get hit," said Mateen Ziyad who works near what he called a speeding hot spot on Capitol Expressway and Senter Road.
It's something Bay Area police and California Highway Patrol officers are trying to get a handle on.
SLOW DOWN!! Yesterday our day-shift officers stopped 7 cars going over 100 MPH. One driver was stopped for 117 MPH! This type of behavior will obviously get our attention. Please drive responsibly. #CHP375
Posted by CHP - Castro Valley on Monday, March 23, 2020
Castro Valley CHP posted a photo on social media of some of the tickets officers wrote on Sunday. Seven drivers were cited for going over 100 mph and one ticket was for someone allegedly doing 117 mph. And the driver was in an uninsured Hyundai.
"There are some vehicles that are moving fast than typical and faster than what is allowed by law," said San Jose CHP Officer Ross Lee, who added his office is not taking a hands-off or lenient approach during this time.
"We are still out and making sure there is proper enforcement for people who are speeding, driving distracted, driving under the influence and we're still providing a high level of safety and service," Ross said.
Pleasant Hill police tweeted a shot of an alleged speeder getting a ticket in that city under the hashtag, "#wearestillhere."
One man who drives for a living hopes his fellow motorists get the message and just slow down.
"Stay safe out there, drive safe," said Mark Vickers, who drives a truck for a living. "We're all in this together, you know."
But with fewer cars on the road overall, the CHP is writing fewer speeding tickets. In March of 2019, the office wrote 742 speeding tickets. So far in March of 2020, records show officers wrote only 205 speeding tickets.