Division Focus Of Safety Project

Authorities are beginning a yearlong effort to make Spokane’s North Division Street safer.

The 10.4-mile stretch of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 2 has the state’s highest rate of accidents involving fatalities and injuries.

Because of the high accident rate, the area will be targeted for the next year by police, sheriff’s deputies and the Washington State Patrol.

“It’s a fast street and I think a lot of people misjudge it,” said Dick Cottam, a spokesman for the Spokane Police Department.

The stretch of North Division, which runs from the city into the county is bordered largely by shopping centers, restaurants and other businesses.

The project’s goal is to reduce the number of collisions and injuries and eliminate fatalities.

Officers will be assigned to look specifically for people driving fast or recklessly. Signs and advertisements will be part of the campaign to slow down speeders.

, DataTimes