The leading cause of death in Fresno County: How officials are responding

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Since Thanksgiving tends to beryllium the astir heavy traveled holiday, section Fresno County instrumentality enforcement agencies person launched a Traffic Safety Awareness Campaign.

"One of the astir unsafe things you're going to bash each time is get successful your car and thrust each and each day," said CHP Capt. Austin Matulonis. 

 A concern archetypal of its benignant for the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

"Typically, we've done the pack operations, we've done the precocious enforcement stuff, but we've ne'er participated successful a postulation item similar this that I tin recall, truthful that's what we're going to do, we consciousness this is important," said Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni.

Each year, from present until New Year's, much than 20 radical are killed successful fatal centrifugal conveyance crashes successful Fresno County.

The California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the District Attorney's Office anticipation that educating and informing drivers volition prevention astatine slightest 1 life.

In Fresno County, centrifugal conveyance crashes are the starring origin of death, surpassing homicides. 

The apical 3 contributing factors are driving portion intoxicated, texting and driving, and speeding.

"Case successful point, what happened this morning, a conveyance speeding connected the 180 loses control, goes over, and kills the passenger, we request to halt these fatalities and let's beryllium honest, we cannot enforce our mode retired of these alone, we request the community's help," shared Matulonis. 

Since Oct. 30, these agencies person accrued patrol and DUI checkpoints, this volition proceed until the 1st of the year. 

But that's not all; determination are 10 integer billboard campaigns successful some English and Spanish, that are located successful accident-prone areas.

Along with societal media posts specifically targeting men aged 18 to 35 and 50-year-old men.

"Looking astatine the information that was provided by the road patrol, these individuals successful these property groups are the ones that are losing their lives astatine the highest rates, and truthful we privation to people these individuals with this due messaging to punctual radical to dilatory down, don't portion and thrust and don't substance and drive," stated Nathan Magsig, Fresno Co. Supervisor, District 5.