The City of Encinitas contracts all of its traffic enforcement to the Sheriff's Department which deploys its black and white patrol cars and motorcycles around the clock throughout the year. Del Mar and Solana Beach have their own Code Enforcement personnel who issue non-moving violation citations on the streets and in parking lots in those cities.

Traffic Deputies are armed with radar and Lidar (laser). In addition, two radar trailers are used in Encinitas. They are deployed as both an enforcement tool (people do slow down when they see the trailer displaying speeds) and for statistic gathering purposes to assess speed limits or whether other inhibitors are needed.

The Department supports the privately installed "25 mile per hour speed limit, children present" sign concept. These signs are available commercially as well as from city governments. Experienced traffic control officers maintain that the sign displays play a passive yet effective method to remind motorists to drive safely in residential neighborhoods.

Our Busiest Intersections

As expected, the Encinitas Boulevard-El Camino Real intersection ranks number one as the major problem spot in this area. Other Encinitas intersections on the list are Chesterfield and San Elijo as well as Encinitas Boulevard and Vulcan. The most crowded intersection statistically in Solana Beach is Lomas Santa Fe and Stevens. That statistic in Del Mar belongs to 11th and Camino del Mar.

DUI Enforcement Sweeps

While the highly publicized static DUI Checkpoint procedure remains a viable alternative, the Traffic Division enjoys increasing success in combating DUI and other vehicle related crimes with a mobile "sweeps" policy. Under this program, up to a dozen - or more - squad cars and motorcycles are assigned to a problem area. Law enforcement officers saturate a problem area with highly effective results.