Traffic Enforcement Increasing on Rice Ranch Road in Orcutt
Jarrod Zinn
ORCUTT, Calif. – An Orcutt intersection is getting increased attention from CHP in response to complaints about reckless driving and excessive speeding.
Officers are honing in on Rice Ranch Road and Graciosa Street—continuing from Orcutt Road, just east of Highway 135.
This was in response to multiple complaints.
The intersection may look quiet, especially prior to 7 in the morning, but officials say drivers shouldn’t stop obeying driving rules.
Within the last week alone, CHP has made a surprising number of stops for speed violations and running the stop signs at this intersection in Orcutt.
“About a week ago, a concerned citizen came up to me and advised that he walks Rice Ranch, every day, a little bit before 7:00 and multiple times throughout the week, he sees vehicles traveling at high speeds of over 70 plus miles per hour,” says Sean Kelly, Santa Maria CHP sergeant.
One driver was stopped two separate times on subsequent days for different offenses.
“Thursday morning we stopped one driver for driving through the stop sign, probably close to about 30 or 30 plus miles per hour. And then the following day we deployed again and we were actually doing speed enforcement that day on Rice Ranch. And one of our officers stopped that same driver a second time,” says Sgt. Kelly.
Officers say most of the violations they encountered at Rice Ranch Road and Graciosa Street were in excess of 60 miles per hour in this 45-mph zone.
“The first day that we deployed was Wednesday, and I was a little surprised sitting at the stop sign how many people actually were violating the stop sign the rules and regulations of the road and driving through it 15, 20 plus miles per hour,” says Sgt. Kelly.
While an initial speeding violation comes with a fine, repeated or severe violations can increase those fines, raise your insurance rates, and suspend or even revoke your driver’s license.
“I know in the mornings it can seem like there’s not a whole lot going on out here. But there’s a lot of pedestrian traffic. So I just want to reiterate that it is very important to stop completely at the stop signs,” says Sgt. Kelly.
Drivers are advised to follow safe driving practices no matter what time it is.
Pedestrians are advised to look both ways when crossing the street, use crosswalks, and maintain good peripheral awareness.
CHP says they’ve seen more than enough to make this intersection a top concern from now on.