The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has received a $1,479,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to fund a one-year traffic enforcement and education program.

The money will fund various traffic enforcement and education activities intended to reduce deaths and injuries on California roads.

“Unsafe behaviors account for 94 percent of traffic crashes,” said Sergeant Robert Hill. “This grant emphasizes the two most effective ways to change behaviors – education and enforcement. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Office of Traffic Safety, will use these tools to help keep streets safe.”

The grant-related activities are for the 2020 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020.

The funding from the OTS will be used for numerous programs, including:
• DUI/driver’s license checkpoints.
• Patrols specifically looking for suspected alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers.
• Patrols targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law and vehicle code violations by drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians that put other roadway users at risk.
• Patrols targeting the primary causes of crashes: Speeding, improper turns, running stop signs or signals, right-of-way violations and driving on the wrong side of the road.
• Traffic safety education presentations for youth and community members on distracted and impaired driving, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Serving warrants to multiple DUI offenders.
• Creating “Hot Sheets” identifying repeat DUI offenders.
• Officer training to identify suspected impaired drivers and conduct sobriety tests.

“Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things we do,” OTS director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to shift that realization and make traveling on our roads safer.”

Funding for this traffic enforcement and education program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.