Right Column
Message from the Director
As we enter 2011, I am pleased to report that we fully expect, when all the numbers are in, the significant improvements of 2009 will have grown even larger in 2010. California’s overall traffic fatalities decreased by more than 10 percent, reaching their lowest level ever. This is the second consecutive year in which we saw a double digit drop in overall fatalities. In addition, California’s seat belt use and child safety seat use rates both hit all-time highs in 2010, at 96.2 percent and 95.4 percent, respectively. Teen seat belt use also continued to increase to 91.1 percent.
While seat belt use continued to increase across the board, I am gratified to report that we have also seen significant reductions in a number of other areas, including impaired driving, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. Motorcycle fatalities experienced the first drop since 1998, marking the end to an 11 year, 175 percent increase. Likewise, alcohol impaired driving fatalities decreased 7.6 percent between 2008 and 2009, marking a staggering 26.8 percent drop since 2005.
Although overall pedestrian fatalities also dropped 10 percent - the lowest annual tally since the federal government began recording the statistics in 1975, pedestrian fatalities age 65 and older increased 15 percent.
OTS entered 2010 with a number of firsts planned for the year. We have recently completed California’s first ever statewide traffic safety survey which will help inform and shape a number of important programs in 2011 and going forward, particularly the issue of impaired and distracted driving. Participants indicated that speeding and aggressive driving were the biggest traffic safety problems on California’s roadways. Additionally, more than 86 percent of respondents were in support of sobriety checkpoints, yet roughly 25 percent did not know that driving under the influence of drugs was as serious as alcohol. With the rollout of eGrants, OTS and our grantees have entered a whole new world where grant applications, reporting and administration will be faster, easier and more efficient.
In 2011 we will continue be significantly involved in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan implementation, including substantial work on the Distracted Driving Challenge Area #17. We will also continue to focus heavily on impaired driving, including special drugged driving training with the Traffic Resource Prosecutor Program (TSRP).
On behalf of the entire OTS staff, I thank the public, law enforcement, and our partners throughout the traffic safety community for their continuing dedication to make 2011 another great year for traffic safety in California. We are truly making great strides – Towards zero deaths, every 1 counts.
Christopher J. Murphy
Director
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