This time last year, no one knew what was in store for motorists in 2005 regarding traffic, transportation and driving habits.

While no one can predict 2006 either, the hope is that it’s not as tragic, with nearly a dozen major accidents, several resulting in death, that took place primarily on Bond Road during the past 12 months.

Stimulated by last year’s campaign to install a stop light at the Bond/Stottlemyer/Gunderson roads intersection, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Patrol and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office have been doing their part to monitor the major North End thoroughfares more closely. But when it comes down to it, ultimately it’s the drivers who determine how safe roads are to travel, law enforcement officials agree.

Since the light was turned on last November, WSDOT crews have been at the intersection nearly a dozen times to review traffic flows, said WSDOT spokeswoman Alice Fiman. From their observations, it was determined a “Left Turn Must Yield” sign was required for vehicles approaching Bond from both Stottlemyer and Gunderson roads.

Even though such action is considered a common rule of the road and it is assumed people follow it, “that was kind of something they noticed that was happening,” Fiman said, noting there haven’t been any accidents at the intersection.

As for driving habits, the increased presence of WSP troopers on Bond Road has made a difference in catching unsafe practices, such as speeding, said WSP spokesman Brian George.

The number of times troopers stopped drivers for speeding increased between January and October before sharply decreasing in November, from 442 in October to 301 in November.

George believes the increase in the number of stops made by troopers comes from having more of them on the road. November had an all-time high of 36 troopers patrolling Kitsap County, compared to 19 in January 2005.

Even so, and despite increased trooper presence, accidents along Bond Road the past six months were not reduced. In fact, the number of collisions increased between July and November, George said. Typically, crashes on dry roads occur during daylight hours primarily in the summertime.

“We cannot account for why we still have an increase in the later part of the year,” he said. “The collisions we have investigated are driver-causing, (by) driver inattention, which is where our focus is at.”

But preliminary data shows no collisions at the Bond/Gunderson roads intersection associated with the traffic light.

“We’ve said from the onset we’ve expected to see something happen with that light and we haven’t,” George said.

When new lights are installed, they typically bring different types of collisions, such as rear-enders, he said.

While George wasn’t certain whether such minor accidents had occurred, he did note that there have been no deaths related to car accidents on Bond Road, especially at the intersection, since the light went in.

“The fatalities have decreased (because) troopers have been doing an outstanding job with their presence up there,” George said. “But we need help from drivers because the number of collisions we do see are driver-error, especially along a two-lane highway. You have to pay attention to your driving. You have to drive defensively.”

The KCSO has been assisting the WSP by taking the time to help observe busy traffic areas for unsafe driving habits and speeders as well.

“We have been cognizant of that situation a long time,” said KCSO spokesman Scott Wilson.

While he encourages people to pay attention to the road while they drive, “there’s going to be a core group of people who don’t care,” he said.

The top complaints the county offices receive is for law enforcement to have to more deputies on the roads to monitor drivers, said Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen, who addressed the issue at a Dec. 13 public hearing in Kingston.

While it has been habit to blame bad driving on those who don’t live in the county, “I see a deterioration in the way people in Kitsap County drive,” she said.

The county can change speed limits and put up speed bumps all it wants, she added, “but if people would just slow down a little bit and be considerate of their neighbors, we can spend that money on other things.”