NEWS RELEASE
DATE: October 15, 2021
SUBJECT: Traffic Safety, Education, and Enforcement Grants
LOCATION: City of Oxnard
CONTACT: Jose Diaz, Senior Traffic Officer
(805) 385-7749 | jose.diaz@oxnardpd.org
Oxnard Police Department awarded $475,700.00 from two grants by the Office of Traffic Safety.
Oxnard, Calif. – The Oxnard Police Department received funding from two grants totaling $475,700.00 from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The police department received $450,000.00 for one of the grants that focus on deterring dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in the community. This funding allows the police department to provide necessary traffic enforcement measures with the goal of reducing serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads.
The grant will pay for additional enforcement measures, including:
· DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on suspected impaired drivers.
· Enforcement operations focused on suspected distracted drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
· Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations focused on driver behaviors that put vulnerable road users at risk.
· Motorcycle safety enforcement operations focused on driving and riding behavior that put motorcyclists as risk.
· Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
· Enforcement operations focused on illegal street racing and vehicle modifications.
· Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
· Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
The Oxnard Police Department was awarded a second grant for $25,700.00 from the California Office of Traffic Safety that will further focus on the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.
Grant funds will pay for a comprehensive safety program that will teach valuable skills for all types of road users including:
· Walking Field Trips that educate youth and older adults on safe walking habits.
· Bicycle skills and training courses that educate youth on safe riding behaviors.
· Helmet fitting inspections and distribution of helmets to those in need.
· Community and school education presentations on best bike/walking practices.
· Incorporating bicycle safety skills into regular community bike rides.
· Pop-up events that promote the importance of visibility on roads with safety equipment such as reflective armbands/leg bands and bicycle headlights/taillights.
The grant program will run through September 2022.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.