The Sacramento Police Department has been awarded $75,000 in grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program.  The funding will be focused on preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through education, training, and special enforcement efforts around the schools located within the City of Sacramento.  The grant will aid in the city’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and the quality of life in and around our children’s schools. The Sacramento Police Department will use the funding as part of an on-going commitment to keep the roadways around our schools safe through education, training and enforcement.

Activities that the grant will fund include:

·       Conducting bicycle helmet usage surveys at city schools, implementing incentive programs to increase helmet use, and including proper fitting and distribution of bicycle helmets

·       Presenting bicycle safety training and bicycle rodeos at city schools

·       Promoting pedestrian safety training through presentations and distribution of educational materials at the schools

·       Teaching seat belt and child safety seat education and training

·       Helping establish and maintain comprehensive public education programs to reduce pedestrian and bicycle involved collisions including a partnership with Sacramento Safe Routes to School

·       Conducting traffic enforcement around the schools when needed by enforcing speed, stopping distracted driving and other hazardous moving violations associated with pedestrian and bicycle collisions

·       Increasing teen driver education programs including ‘Start Smart’, ‘Every 15 Minutes’ and ‘Impact Teen Drivers’

·       Conduct traffic enforcement patrols looking for underage drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please direct any inquiries to Sergeant Matt Armstrong via email at marmstrong@pd.cityofsacramento.org or by telephone at (916) 808-3778. Media is encouraged to highlight the grant to increase awareness for pedestrian and bicycle safety, especially in and around our schools, to help reduce collisions and save lives.