Get your motor running | IN OUR OPINION

Published 12:52 pm Saturday, January 3, 2015

Bainbridge Island police have announced plans to start up a motorcycle unit in the department and begin motorcycle police patrols later this year.

The expanded enforcement effort comes in response to continuing complaints from residents about traffic problems. Police Chief Matthew Hamner says having a motorcycle officer will give the department added flexibility and mobility and is one piece in the effort to improve safety for drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.

We think it’s a great idea, and we join with others who believe that improving traffic safety is a vital component of maintaining the island’s quality of life.

Sure, there may be some who complain about a more visible police presence on the island, or those who only support increased traffic enforcement when it’s some other guy getting a parking ticket, or being stopped for exceeding the speed limit on Miller Road, on the highway or in one of our school zones.

But let’s be realistic. The island seems to have more than its fair share of inattentive drivers, drivers on cell phones, drivers who have yet to discover how to operate a turn signal, drivers who roll through crosswalks or stop signs, or approach the High School Road roundabout as if it’s a competitive contest against everyone else nearing the intersection.

We’d like to think that all of the tailgaters, the speeders, the impaired drivers and the simply lousy drivers on our roads are just visitors to our island; passers-through who don’t actually live here.

Not all are, unfortunately. And while Chief Hamner notes that traffic safety can’t be improved by enforcement alone, we think that more officers on patrol — motorcycle or otherwise — is a worthy effort that will make drivers more mindful of sharing the road with other drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.