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West Valley City » A police officer backs into a parked car. A city employee hits a garbage can with a truck's side mirror. Another officer runs into a mailbox and trees. And a city manager scrapes his car against another car backing out of his driveway.
All are examples of the increasing, but mostly minor, accidents caused by West Valley City employees using city-owned vehicles, from police cars to public works trucks. In 2009, the number of at-fault accidents involving city employees jumped 54 percent, costing the city almost $107,000, officials said.
"It's just dumb stuff," said Rachel White, the risk analyst who oversees the city's accidents. "They're lower cost, but more frequent."
Some of the more expensive at-fault accidents last year include:
» An employee who rear-ended two cars; tab: about $14,000.
» A truck driver hauling a water tank who rear-ended a car; tab: $11,000.
» An officer who tried to make a U-turn over a median and got stuck; tab: $6,000.
Police cars "don't have four-wheel drive. They're not Jeeps," White said. "They sometimes forget that."
Police officers had 37 -- or 62 percent -- of the 60 at-fault accidents last year. Officer accidents have been about 60 percent of the city's at-fault accidents for the past three years, according to city records.
Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen
City officials said they have a theory for the spike in 2009: New employees, especially new officers, need time to learn how to drive their city vehicles.
"New employees take a couple of years to learn how to drive safely," White said.
It takes time for new officers in particular to become balanced drivers, as they juggle multiple tasks, said White and City Attorney Richard Catten. While officers are cruising the streets or parked and working, they are listening to a dispatch radio, watching for violations, using a computer and reading license plates.
"We're seeing more dumb accidents from the new officers," White said. "Their attention is always distracted."
All city accidents are examined by the city's Incident Review Board. It's made up of 22 city employees, including some department risk coordinators, and meets about five times a year. The employee explains the accident and the board decides who's at fault, officials said.
The board then passes along advice to department heads about accident prevention. The board doesn't track whether its recommendations are implemented, officials said.
"They can adopt them if they want to, [but] it's up to them," White said.
Any disciplinary actions for employees who cause an accident are left up to city departments. For example, officers might receive time off without pay for a serious accident, officials said.
A few years ago, the city fire department had an increase in accidents, mostly because of drivers hitting objects when backing out the fire truck. So a rule was adopted to make sure a spotter helped drivers take out the truck, officials said. The department's number of at-fault accidents was cut in half.
To help staffers become better drivers, all city employees last year were required to watch "Driven to Distraction," a DVD on how to drive responsibly.
Employees also are given a list of tips to follow while driving. Among them:
» If you can't see asphalt under the tires of the car in front of you, you're driving too close.
» Anticipate other drivers' mistakes; give yourself an escape route.
» If you must answer your cell phone while driving, keep it on your lap. Before reaching for something, ask yourself: "Do I need to do this right now?"
Some department heads are also mandating some employees take a police vehicle training class.
City officials said they are concerned with the jump in accidents, but to keep the city a safe place, they want to encourage employees to report every minor incident.
"We can learn from everyone of them," Catten said. "You can't prevent what you don't know about."
