96 DRIVERS CITED, 3 VEHICLES TOWED IN 14-HOUR TRAFFIC SWEEP.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

QUARTZ HILL - A new task force made up of Antelope Valley law enforcement agencies took to the streets Wednesday in a 14-hour traffic sweep to curb the rising number of serious crashes.

Patrolling around Quartz Hill, sheriff's deputies from Lancaster and Palmdale and California Highway Patrol officers issued 96 citations, mostly for speeding and for not wearing seat belts. Three vehicles were towed because the drivers had no licenses.

``2003 was a bad year for fatality statistics and the new year started off real bad,'' said Capt. Doug Rich, commander of the California Highway Patrol office in Lancaster. ``Accident stats were up in both cities as well last year.''

Last year was the deadliest on record for Antelope Valley highways, streets and roads.

Highways and rural roads had 54 traffic fatalities last year, compared with 38 in 2002. An additional 19 people died on Palmdale city streets, compared with 11 in 2002. Lancaster statistics for the year were not available, but nine people died in crashes in 2003's first nine months, compared with eight fatalities the previous year.

The newly formed Antelope Valley Traffic Task Force's ``maximum enforcement effort'' is a joint effort by the Lancaster and Palmdale sheriff's stations' traffic teams and the CHP's Lancaster office.

Quartz Hill was picked for the first sweep after task force members examined crash statistics and residents' complaints, among other things.

CHP and sheriff's officials announced formation of the task force in January after six people died in five separate crashes in the first 11 days of 2004.

``I asked my officers that we step up enforcement and since those first accidents, we've only had one fatality and we're already in the middle of March,'' Rich said.

The task force will continue sweeps throughout the Antelope Valley as manpower allows, officials said.

Another CHP team for northern Los Angeles County, composed of six officers and a sergeant, has been assigned to focus on high-speed freeway corridors. Their targets will include the Antelope Valley, Golden State, Foothill and Ventura freeways.

``People commuting from the Antelope Valley to L.A. need to slow down and drive sensibly,'' Rich said. Of the extra officers, he said: ``If motorists haven't seen them on the 14 or the 5 yet, they soon will.''