Murrieta, Calif. – The safety of everyone traveling is the focus of a grant awarded to the Murrieta Police Department. The $94,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) will assist in Murrieta Police Department’s efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on Murrieta roads.
“Each year families are torn apart by deaths and injuries from preventable traffic collisions. Sadly, alcohol and drug-impaired driving, distracted driving due to cellular phones use, and reckless driving habits, continue to be leading factors in traffic collisions,” Murrieta Police Chief Sean Hadden said. “This funding allows us to enhance the safety of all Murrieta residents.”
The one-year grant is for the 2021 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.
The grant will fund a variety of traffic safety programs, including: Click or tap here to enter text.
• Patrols with emphasis on alcohol and drug-impaired driving prevention.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Patrols with emphasis on education of traffic rights for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: excess speed, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.
• Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speed, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Collaborative efforts with neighboring agencies on traffic safety priorities.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
“Through education and behavior changes, we hope to create an environment that is safe and equitable for all road users in our community,” Murrieta Police Lieutenant James Gruwell said.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.