At one time or another, many people have wished a police officer was around to witness an instance of dangerous driving.

Now, a Web site and telephone hotline offer some satisfaction to those who see unsafe driving.

Sheriff's officials and officials of participating communities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties hope more people will use the system, especially now that the online reporting feature has proven itself during its first year of operation.

"If you see anyone driving recklessly, make the phone call — or, now, hit the Web site — and there can be a follow up," said Westake Village Councilman Mark Rutherford.

For a year now, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Teen Traffic Offender Program's Web site has featured a "report a driver" tool that enables anyone to report dangerous driving from home.

Although the primary focus of the STTOP program is on teens, the Web site can be used to report dangerous drivers of any age.

The seven-year-old STTOP program is a collaboration developed by the Malibu/Lost Hills Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and involving the communities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Fillmore, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Moorpark, Oak Park, Ojai, Santa Clarita, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village.

"We encourage people to use it to report dangerous driving and report the incident from the safety of their home instead of while they are driving. It makes for a more thorough report," said sheriff's Deputy Michael Woodard.

The program receives about a dozen reports each week, according to Sheriff's Department figures. In the past 12 months, about 100 reports have come in over the Web, Woodard said.

The Web site has also proven to be a useful tool for people to make other general inquiries, he said.

Some teens use the Web site or the hotline as a means of reporting friends who they feel are driving irresponsibly, Woodard said.

All of the reports go to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station and are handled anonymously.

Once a driver has been reported, Woodard communicates the information to a deputy in the appropriate city. Follow-up is not punitive, he said, and usually involves a letter being sent home or a knock on the door.

For teen drivers, making contact with the parents is usually all that is needed to correct a behavior.

The goal is to "educate young drivers and their parents. The program is strictly educational," Woodard said. "However, if the same person is reported multiple times, I will let the field deputies know this is a problem."

The telephone hotline is 877-310-STOP or 818-880-5420. The Web site is www.sttop.net.

"The one thing I'd like to emphasize is that it doesn't have to be a teen driver," Rutherford said. "We've got lots of parents that are driving around — sometimes they're rushed, in a hurry, have to get to work, are late for a meeting. (A deputy) knocking on the door reminds us all to take a breath. And if you're late two minutes, it's a lot better than what could happen."