Santa Monica Police Department Receives Grant for Special Traffic Enforcement and Collision Prevention

Santa Monica Police Department Receives Grant
for Special Traffic Enforcement and Collision Prevention
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Santa Monica Police Department has been awarded a $100,000.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts.  The grant will aid in the city’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and quality of life through both enforcement and education.
 
Lieutenant Jay Trisler, of the Santa Monica Police Department, states that this funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety will enable the police department to provide additional officers in the field to concentrate on traffic-related concerns and promote a safer traveling experience.
 
While traffic deaths from all causes declined by nearly 39 percent between 2006 and 2010 in California, state and federal officials anticipate that figures will show a slight rise in 2011.

DUI deaths remain the largest sector, at nearly 30 percent of traffic fatalities.  Recent trends show increases in two new categories – distracted driving and drug-impaired driving.
 
Activities that the grant will fund include:

• Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE).
• DUI Saturation Patrols
• Motorcycle safety enforcement
• Distracted driving enforcement
• Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement

“Despite the recent increases, California’s roadways are still very much safer than they were before 2006,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy.  “The Santa Monica Police Department will be keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness so that we can continue saving lives and reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”
 
Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.