For Immediate Release:
Oct. 1, 2018

Contact:
Tim Weisberg
OTS Marketing and Public Affairs
timothy.weisberg@ots.ca.gov
(916) 509-3020

2019 Highway Safety Plan funds $82 million in traffic safety grants
OTS awards 287 grants to agencies statewide

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) announced today plans to fund more than $80 million in traffic safety grants to hundreds of local and state agencies for the 2019 federal fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

The 287 grants awarded are part of the annual OTS Highway Safety Plan, which outlines traffic safety priority areas, and programs aimed at strengthening and expanding our efforts to save lives on California roads.

This funding is vital in our efforts to reduce traffic deaths and bring about behavior changes needed to make roadways safer for everyone,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said. “Our goal is zero deaths, and we will continue to do everything we can to reach this goal.”

The grants will help fund multiple traffic safety efforts:

  • Enforcement operations: Addressing primary collision factors with special emphasis on alcohol, drug-impaired and distracted driving. Provide drug-recognition training for officers and prosecutor training for handling DUI cases.
  • Motorcyclist, Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety: Youth and adult education, traffic violation enforcement.
  • Occupant Protection: Increasing seat belt use, child passenger safety seat training and education.
  • Traffic engineering/records: Improving state and local data systems, identify areas with high concentration of collisions, and countermeasures to create safe environments for all modes of transportation.
  • Emergency Medical Services: Upgraded extrication equipment, improve response times and survivability rates in crashes.

In addition, OTS actively partners with private sector, non-profits, advocates and community based organizations who share the same goals of making roadway safety a priority.

The federal grant awards can only be used for traffic safety activities during the federal fiscal year, which is Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Grants are awarded based on data-driven traffic safety problem(s) identified by the organizations applying for funding, as well as a demonstrated ability to show effectiveness in reducing traffic deaths and injuries.

A complete list of this year’s grantees can be found here: https://bit.ly/OTSGrantees


 

 

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