By Janise Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FRANKLIN - Alarmed by 12 traffic deaths in 12 months,Warren County police are reminding motorists to focus on safety - and they'll be writing more tickets for those who don't.

"I'd like to see awareness and voluntary compliance, not just increased enforcement - but that's what we'll do if that's what it takes," said Franklin Police Chief Bob Rockwood.

Throughout April, Rockwood's department and four others will be increasing patrols during peak fatal crash times: noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and on Friday and Saturday nights.

The 30-day enforcement blitz, announced Monday, also involves Warren County sheriff's deputies, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and police from Springboro and Clearcreek Township.

The goal is to deter risky driving, because most of the fatal crashes involved law violations or inattention to safety, said Lt. Mike Sanders, commander of the patrol's Lebanon post.

"Crashes are not accidents," he said. "Accidents are something that can't be predictable. Crashes are predictable, therefore they're preventable."

Speeding was the most frequent problem. Police blamed it in four of the 11 crashes that killed 12 people. "Yet speeding costs lives without saving time," Rockwood said.

He cites this example: A couple of years ago, lowering the speed limit on a two-mile stretch of Dixie Highway from 50 mph to 35 mph prompted complaints from drivers who claimed the change would make them late for work. But Rockwood found traveling at the lower speed added only 25 seconds to travel time. "So," he said, "speeding isn't worth the risk of causing a wreck, being in one and being ticketed - but not saving time."

The remaining seven crashes involved preventable moving violations, such as improper passing, following too closely and failure to yield, Sanders said.

The April enforcement blitz is not directly aimed at young drivers, who were behind the wheel in seven crashes that killed eight Southwest Ohio teens since February. Authorities in Butler County - hardest hit by the spate of fatalities - have set a news conference for today to reveal a plan for attacking that problem.

Meanwhile, Sanders said motorists of any age can expect strict enforcement of traffic laws during the Warren County blitz.