The Sacramento Police Department has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program of special enforcement events and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries. The Police Department will use the funding as part of the City’s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.

After falling dramatically between 2006 and 2010, the number of persons killed and injured in traffic incidents saw slight increases in 2011 and 2012. Particularly worrisome are recent increases in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities and the dangers of distracting technologies. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk and drugged driving and speeding.

“California’s roadways are still among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “But to meet future mobility, safety, and sustainability objectives, we must create safer roadways for all users. The Sacramento Police Department will be using these and other resources to reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every one counts.”

Activities funded by the grant will include:

· DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints

· Motorcycle safety enforcement

· Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement

· Traffic enforcement at high-risk intersections

· Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders

· Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving away from court after their driver’s licenses have been suspended or revoked for drunk driving

· Distracted driving enforcement

· Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement, including nighttime operations

· Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement

· Stakeout operations to observe the “worst of the worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended

or revoked driver licenses to prevent re-offending