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ELK GROVE, Calif. – Taking advantage of significant, historic investments in federal highway safety program funding, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) today announced it has awarded approximately $127.3 million for 442 grants, the largest in OTS history.
“The OTS is committed to delivering efficient, innovative and data-driven programs to address the roadway safety crisis with immediate action and urgency to save lives,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “We are redoubling our efforts to prioritize the safety of people walking and biking, as well as combating the riskiest and most dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding and impairment through collaborative enforcement efforts.”
The grant awards are part of California’s 2024-2026 Triennial Highway Safety Plan (3HSP), a three-year blueprint to make our roads safer and more accessible for Californians and mark a nearly 20% increase in awards from the previous federal fiscal year from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The OTS grant programs fund hundreds of agencies and non-profits throughout the state in the areas of alcohol and drug-impaired driving, distracted driving, seat belts and child safety seats, bicycle and pedestrian safety, emergency medical services, police traffic services and traffic records.
Among the projects funded by the OTS:
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Approximately $73.6 million for law enforcement agencies: More than 200 law enforcement agencies across the state are receiving grants to conduct enforcement and education programs targeting traffic safety issues including distracted driving, seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
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Approximately $2.2 million for University of California, Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC): Funds more than two dozen walking/biking safety assessments and trainings to implement infrastructure solutions that improve active transportation. Priority will be placed in communities that have experienced historical disinvestment or are in a Federal Highway Administration Pedestrian and Bicyclist Focused Approach region. The FHWA program provides extra resources to states and metropolitan planning organizations with a higher proportion of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths.
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Approximately $1.7 million for Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency: Two grants to further advance post-crash care safety outcomes through a trauma training mobile application that allows access to medical and training procedures for life-saving measures at the scene of a crash, as well as the development of a health data exchange system that captures all patient injuries and outcomes in Los Angeles County.
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Approximately $1.3 million for UC Davis Health: Grant will fund a study to evaluate the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in people injured in car crashes, people walking who are hit by vehicles, bicycle crashes and crashes involving micro-mobility devices such as electronic scooters.
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$300,000 for San Mateo County Office of Education: Grant will further the School Travel Fellowship Program, which works with five cities to implement traffic safety projects at local schools, such as quick build infrastructure and walking safety assessments. The school sites will be selected based on the highest rate of crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians, and where more than 75% of students are eligible for free or reduced school lunches.
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$202,692 for Contra Costa County Public Health: Work with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to train city officials in Equity Priority Communities (EPCs) on advancing the Safe System Approach to empower policy adoption and implementation. The EPCs are Antioch, Pittsburg, Richmond, San Pablo, Concord’s Monument Corridor, North Richmond and Bay Point.
The OTS and state departments within the California State Transportation Agency have adopted the Safe System Approach, a guiding paradigm to address roadway safety that builds and reinforces multiple layers of protection in both preventing crashes and minimizing the severity of crashes when they do happen.
The OTS awards grants based on identifiable traffic safety problems, proposed strategies to improve the safety of roads, as well as proven measures taken to reduce traffic deaths and injuries. The OTS also considers alignment with the five elements of the Safe System Approach – safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users, and post-crash care.
The grant programs run through September 2024.
The OTS encourages the public to join the Go Safely Movement and help us establish a strong road safety culture. Fill out our call-to-action survey and become a “traffic safety champion” at gosafelyca.org. To learn more about the OTS programs, visit ots.ca.gov.
About California Office of Traffic Safety
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) administers traffic safety grants that deliver innovative programs and help to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries on California roads. The OTS grant programs identify and address a variety of behavioral issues that impact traffic safety such as alcohol and drug-impaired driving, distracted driving, seat belts and child safety seats, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. To learn more about the OTS, visit ots.ca.gov and gosafelyca.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @OTS_CA and @GoSafelyCA, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS and www.facebook.com/GoSafelyCA.
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