DUIs top list for most common crashes in Mountain View

Driving under the influence was the top reason for vehicle crashes in Mountain View last year, a trend the Mountain View Police Department is looking to reverse with a $75,000 state grant that will help pay police overtime for traffic and DUI enforcement efforts, training and education.

In 2024, there were 336 reported collisions in Mountain View, 62 of which were primarily caused by driving under the influence, according to a report presented to the City Council earlier this month. Unsafe turns, unsafe speeds and failure to yield were also identified as frequent primary causes for crashes.

The Mountain View police transparency dashboard, which provides data about traffic collisions going back to 2022, shows that driving under the influence was the primary cause of more crashes in 2024 than in the previous two years. In 2023, DUI was the primary collision factor in 42 crashes. In 2022, there were 48 such crashes.

Mountain View police Lt. Laurina Holt said DUI-related offenses typically occur on weekends, a trend she cited from police data and her observations of working weekend shifts.

“We have a pretty lively downtown atmosphere, which the city is really proud of,” Holt said. “Unfortunately, the downside of that is where there’s a good time, people drink alcohol and that leads to DUIs.”

The $75,000 grant will help support directed patrol efforts to improve public safety not just for drivers but also pedestrians and bicyclists, Holt said. In September, police stepped up enforcement efforts for pedestrian safety month. Officers made 108 vehicle stops, 14 pedestrian stops and issued 81 citations for failure to yield to pedestrians, Holt said.

“There’s a huge push for environmental safety and sustainability in our city and so for that reason, we want to ensure that our pedestrians and folks on bicycles and scooters and other forms of transportation are just as safe as people riding in motor vehicles,” Holt said.

According to Holt, education and outreach are as important as enforcement. Recently, police received a tip that there were a lot of speed violations occurring around Central Expressway and Rengstorff Avenue. Officers saturated the area to look for violations and issue citations, but they also provided education on how to drive safely, Holt said.

“We’re really happy with the grant and the opportunity to use funds like that for something positive, and hopefully get our numbers down,” she said.

This story originally appeared in the Mountain View Voice. Emily Margaretten joined the Mountain View Voice in 2023 as a reporter covering City Hall.