FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno County has some of the highest numbers for fatalities, often driven by high speed, distracted driving, or DUIs. But a new safety campaign is rolling out ahead of the holiday season, which can be a dangerous time of year.
Fresno County sees anywhere between 9 to 12 deaths on the roadways during the holiday season alone.
On Wednesday, officials announced they are rolling out their holiday traffic safety campaign for a second year, this time with proof that their investment last year made a difference.
A child’s toy sprawled out on the road, alongside the stark message, “Don’t speed and drive.” This is the latest billboard, which is part of Fresno County’s new traffic safety campaign.
“Speeding is the leading cause of collisions in the City of Fresno,” says Deputy Chief Burke Farrah, Fresno Police Department.
Emotionally, alongside her children, Celeste Guzman recounted April 17th, 2009, the morning she lost the father of her children and teenage sister to a drunk driver.
“The pain of losing them was something words barely touch, heartbreak like that doesn’t disappear, you just learn to live with it,” says Guzman.
Law enforcement stood shoulder to shoulder alongside elected and education leaders to send a strong message to drivers ahead of the holiday season.
The county invested tens of thousands into the campaign, brought back for a second year.
Supervisor Nathan Magsig says last year they saw a 60% reduction in fatalities, so this year they are expanding to 19 billboard locations throughout the county.
“What we saw is actually a correlation between the money we spent and a reduction in the number of fatalities,” says Supervisor Nathan Magsig.
The billboards have three main messages: don’t drive under the influence, don’t speed, and don’t drive distracted.
Authorities say these are the three leading causes of collisions.
In 2023, there were 11 fatal crashes and 53 caused by drivers under the influence, and while fatalities dropped to four last year, DUIs rose to 70.
“The sad thing is that DUI fatal crashes are 100% preventable,” says Captain Ian Holguin, California Highway Patrol.
Last year, Fresno PD issued 15,000 speeding tickets.
Alongside the campaign, law enforcement agencies plan to bolster their patrols during the holidays. But, officials hope these signs will deter drivers and decrease their number of citations.
“We are not here to write more tickets; we are here to keep your family and friends alive,” says Chief Marc Ediger, Reedley Police Chief.
Guzman has a message for those planning to celebrate this year.
“Call a friend, call a family member, call a taxi, call an Uber, there’s always a safer way home,” says Guzman.
The signs will be going up next week along heavily trafficked areas, in rural parts of the county, as well as busy city streets.
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