SACRAMENTO,
Calif. – Speed and aggressive driving continues to be a major concern on
California roadways. Federal funding awarded to the California Highway
Patrol (CHP) will help implement safety measures to reduce dangerous driving
behaviors statewide. The
$2.5 million Speed Prevention, Education and Enforcement Deterrence (SPEED
II) grant aims to reduce the number of fatal and injury crashes related
to speed and the number of victims killed and injured in these crashes.
To achieve this, the CHP will deploy enhanced enforcement and public
awareness campaigns statewide. Speeding
and aggressive driving behaviors are a significant danger to the motoring
public, pedestrians, and individuals using alternate forms of
transportation. In federal fiscal year 2021-2022, speed was a factor in
nearly 40% of all fatal and injury crashes in California. During this
period, there were in excess of 28,000 speed-related crashes, resulting in
over 400 deaths and more than 42,000 injuries. “The
receipt of this grant will enable the CHP to reinforce our commitment to road
safety,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Through a combination of
proactive enforcement and community education, we aim to eliminate the threat
of speed and aggressive driving, while making our roads safer for everyone.” During
April 2021 to July 2023, the CHP used federal funding to employ educational
and enforcement efforts to combat dangerous driving behaviors. The
federal funding allowed the CHP to conduct enhanced speed enforcement
operations on state routes with increasingly speed related incidents.
During this period, the CHP issued over 48,000 citations to motorists
exceeding 100 miles per hour; collaborated with allied law enforcement
agencies and posted anti-speeding and aggressive driving behavior ads on
social media. Funding
for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of
Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The mission of the California
Highway Patrol is to provide safety, service, and security. | 
