Three Arrested and 25 Cited During Motorcycle Sting in Diamond Bar

A crackdown on motorcyclists in Diamond Bar Wednesday led to three arrests and 25 citations issued, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies from the Risk Management Bureau's Traffic Services detail conducted the Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation. The deputies stopped 35 riders, issued 25 citations for various violations, arrested two unlicensed drivers, arrested one with a suspended license, impounded two motorcycles for 30 days, and stored another for one day, according to authorities.
The purpose for the operation was to reduce the number of deaths and injuries in traffic collisions, authorities said.

"Extra deputies were on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur," officials said in a news release. "Deputies were looking for drivers and riders who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and cracking down on traffic violations made by motorcyclists, as well as other vehicle drivers, that could lead to motorcycle collisions, injuries, and fatalities."

Motorcycle fatalities statewide increased 175 percent from 204 killed in 1998 to 560 in 2008, but the trend has changed, officials said. In 2009, there were 394 fatalities and 352 in 2010, a 37 percent decrease since the 2008 peak.
In the area the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department patrolled, 47 motorcyclists were injured in 1998 and 184 in 2011, a 390 percent increase, according to data the department provided.

Two were killed in 1998 compared to six in 2011.

Collision data for the state show that the main causes of motorcycle-involved crashes include speeding, unsafe turning, and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs.

The decrease in riders killed statewide can be linked to fewer improperly licensed riders, officials said.

“The terrible trend of rising motorcyclist fatalities has been reversed, though there is more that everyone can do to save more lives. Riders and drivers need to respect each other and share the road,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director, Christopher J. Murphy.

The California Motorcyclist Safety Program offers training to riders.  Information and training locations are available at www.CA-msp.org or 1-877-RIDE-411 or 1-877-743-3411.

Operations like the one in Diamond Bar were funded with a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.