Santa Maria Police: Officers see more speeders despite less traffic during COVID-19 pandemic

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Sabrina Hernandez of Santa Maria is frustrated. "It gets very frustrating because people shouldn’t just be taking advantage of the streets being empty."

Hernandez says she has seen it all while driving to work every day during the Coronavirus pandemic. "People cutting in front of you people are cutting you off speeding down the street, people still not wearing their seatbelts."

While the Santa Maria police department has reported fewer traffic accidents, the stay-at-home order doesn’t seem to have stopped drivers from getting aggressive on the roads.

"There’s a lot of anxiety. There’s a lot of frustration and we encourage people to continue to obey traffic laws," said Lt. Paul Van Meel with the Santa Maria Police Department.

While officers are pleased that the number of accidents are down, they say it’s always important to be aware of driving conditions and speed.

"To try to be as patient as possible And I’m not let the anxiety or frustration turn into a volatile situation," said Van Meel.

Officers want to remind drivers that open roadways are not a free-for-all.

"So if we have less traffic on the roadways that doesn’t give us the license to drive faster than the speed limit allows where the conditions permit so we still have to treat it as we would’ve done it two months ago where we obey the laws because we are still out in an enforcement capacity," said Van Meel.

While everyone continues to endure the Coronavirus pandemic, Hernandez hopes drivers will not only consider their safety but also the safety of others around them. "It’s very upsetting because I take care of my grandma and you know most of the times you know I have her in my car with me I have my niece and nephew and taking him around town and it’s not cool."

As for the officers, Van Meel ultimately, our safety is truly a group effort. "It's more important than ever that we all do our part."

Officers with the Santa Maria Police Department say the number of accidents on the road are down since the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, despite less traffic, officers are seeing more drivers speeding on the road.

Hear from frustrated drivers struggling and the kind of aggressive driving they've experienced.

Find out what Lt. Paul Van Meel with the Santa Maria Police Department has to say to drivers during this difficult time on NewsChannel 12 at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. today.