SACRAMENTO,
Calif. – Speed and aggressive driving continue to be a major concern on California
roadways, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is receiving additional
resources to combat these dangerous driving behaviors statewide.
The
Speed Prevention, Education and Enforcement Deterrence (SPEED) grant, through
the California Office of Traffic Safety, aims to reduce the number of fatal and
injury crashes related to speed by funding additional CHP enforcement patrols and
public awareness campaigns throughout California through September 30, 2023.
Speed
is a factor in approximately 40 percent of all fatal and injury crashes in
California. Between October 1, 2019 and
September 30, 2020, there were 26,256 speed-related crashes that killed 290 people
and injured 38,157 others.
“Reducing
dangerous driving behaviors continues to be a high priority for the CHP,” said
CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The SPEED
grant provides the necessary funding to bolster resources and combat this
growing trend of reckless and inexcusable driving behavior.”
From January 1, 2020, through September 20,
2021, the CHP used federal funding in a similar grant program to implement
educational and enforcement efforts to combat dangerous driving behaviors by
conducting enhanced speed enforcement operations on state routes. During this time, the CHP issued nearly
50,000 citations to motorists exceeding 100 miles per hour, collaborated with
allied law enforcement agencies and posted anti-speeding and aggressive driving
behavior messages on social media.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety,
Service, and Security.
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