New Grants to Promote Traffic Safety Announced

Goal is to Continue Positive Trends

ELK GROVE, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Office of Traffic
Safety (OTS) today announced the award of $82 million in traffic safety grants
to 203 agencies and communities across the state, building upon the commitment
that has resulted in recent dramatic declines in deaths and injuries on
California's roadways. The funds, which come from federal sources, will be
administered by the Office of Traffic Safety, a part of the State's Business,
Transportation and Housing Agency. The grants will allow state, county and
local agencies to continue the fight against impaired driving, encourage seat
belt and child safety seat usage, enhance emergency medical service response,
advance pedestrian and bicycle safety, and assist in the enforcement of
traffic laws aimed at saving lives.

"These grants provide vital resources and strengthen our commitment to save
lives and prevent injuries on California's roadways," said Christopher J.
Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety.

Traffic fatalities have decreased dramatically in California the past two
years, to levels not seen since the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration began gathering statistics in 1975. This is a direct result of
enforcement, engineering, emergency medical services and education.

Much of the new grant activities will work toward keeping basic, tested
practices operating during these times when cities and counties face cutbacks.
There will be emphasis on sobriety checkpoints, high school education
programs, and innovative strategies targeting repeat DUI offenders. All the
activities undertaken as a result of grant funding are directly tied to the
California Strategic Highway Safety Plan adopted in 2006.

At the same time, extra efforts will go toward targeting serious DUI offenders
with programs that increase the number of DUI-only courts, coordinated DUI
prosecution teams, and increased training for DUI prosecutors across the
state. In addition, many more rural counties will be receiving specialized
traffic collision database systems.

"We are very encouraged by the progress we have made in just the last two
years," said Murphy. "Seat belt usage is up over 95 percent. Deaths in most
categories are sharply down. But it is only through the steady implementation
of all these efforts that we have arrived here. We can't let up in our goal
of zero deaths."

In an effort to help stem the increasing number of motorcycle deaths and
injuries, local police departments will conduct enhanced enforcement of DUI
and speed laws aimed at motorcycle riders. Grants will fund activities to
fight DUI and other dangerous driving by high school and college students,
provide assistance for underserved communities in the use of child safety
seats, and keep highway workers safe through the "Slow for the Cone Zone"
campaign.

Today's announcement includes grants to nine regions of the state. Summaries
of the awards can be found on the OTS website at List of 2010 Grantees by
Region.

SOURCE California Office of Traffic Safety

Chris Cochran of the California Office of Traffic Safety, +1-916-509-3063,
ccochran@ots.ca.gov