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Malibu Launches New Effort To Get Drivers To Slow Down On Deadly PCH
Flowers are placed along along the Pacific Coast Highway after a crash that killed four college students and injured two others in Malibu on Oct. 19, 2023.
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Richard Vogel
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Topline:
“Go Safely PCH” is a new education campaign to alert drivers of increased law enforcement on Pacific Coast Highway following years of deadly crashes due in most part to speeding.
Why it matters: The campaign is the latest effort by Caltrans and the city of Malibu to make PCH safer following the the death of four Pepperdine students who were struck and killed by a speeding driver along a stretch of the highway in October. Since 2010, 59 people have been killed on PCH.
The backstory: Since the deaths of the Pepperdine students, Caltrans has pledged $4.2 million for additional safety improvements, such as installing 13 speed feedback signs and warning drivers of upcoming curves like Dead Man’s Curve between Carbon Canyon Road and Rambla Vista. Three California Highway Patrol officers have also been deployed on the roadway to enforce the speed limit from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Why now: According to the city of Malibu, CHP officers gave more than 1,000 citations for speeding since the beginning of the year through April. The latest traffic fatality on PCH was in December, when a motorcyclist was killed in a crash with a car south of Leo Carillo beach.
“If you ever feel the need to speed, think of the 59 victims and how your responsible actions behind the wheel will help make sure there are no more deaths and senseless tragedies on PCH,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney.
More information about the Go Safely PCH campaign can be accessed here. The city of Malibu also documents the latest safety developments for PCH.
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