RPD receives grant for traffic enforcement, crash prevention The Redlands Police Department has been awarded a $71,443 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program aimed at preventing roadway deaths and injuries through special enforcement and public awareness efforts. The grant will aid the Redlands Police Department’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and the quality of life. RPD will use the funding as part of an on-going commitment to keep the City’s roadways safe through both enforcement and education. “Traffic safety requires a comprehensive approach involving educating the public to be aware of – and avoid – dangerous driving habits as well as enforcement of traffic laws to change dangerous behavior,” said Redlands Police Sgt. Jeremy Floyd, who heads the department’s Traffic Unit. “This grant gives us the resources to emphasize both education and enforcement.” The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions. Traffic deaths from all causes declined by nearly 39 percent between 2006 and 2010 in California, but rose by 2.6 percent in 2011. State and federal officials anticipate that figures will show another rise for 2012. 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 * Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement * Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement * Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders * Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 21:01:51 +0000