Dangerous Driving Targeted with Renewed Federal Grant
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has issued a press release announcing the renewal of a grant that will target aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors. Funding for the Regulate Aggressive Driving and Reduce Speed (RADARS) VI campaign will be provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the state agency that operates under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Aggressive Driving is a Major Concern in California
Two of the major safety concerns on California highways and freeways are aggressive driving and excessive speed. A federally-funded traffic safety grant was recently awarded to our state. It will target these dangerous driving behaviors.
Sixth Renewal of the RADARS Grant
As noted by its full name, this RADARS campaign represents the sixth renewal of the federal safety grant. The goal of the grant is to decrease vehicle crashes that can be attributed to speed and thus reduce the number of people that are injured or killed in speed-related crashes.
In the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) of 2018-2019, around 45 percent of all crashes that caused injuries or fatalities in California cited speed as a causative factor. There were 36,036 crashes attributed to speed that year, in which 53,060 people were injured and 335 others were killed.
Sideshows and Street Racing
The Commissioner of the CHP explained that the RADARS grant will go towards education efforts focused on speeding and aggressive driving as well as increased law enforcement efforts. She noted that reckless driving represents a significant threat to California drivers and that some of the grant monies will go toward addressing the problems of sideshows and illegal street racing.
Excessive Speed Citations are on the Rise
Since March 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, throughout the state CHP officers have taken note of a significant increase in incidents that involve unsafe driving behaviors. These behaviors include drivers exceeding 100 miles per hour, illegal street racing, sideshow events, and crashes caused by excessive speed.
Between April 2020 and September 2021, CHP officers issued more than 44,500 speeding tickets to drivers who were exceeding 100 MPH. In an attempt to combat these high-speed incidents, the agency has designated federal grant monies toward enhanced speed enforcement efforts on state highways that have problems with excessive speeding.
The CHP has also worked in collaboration with local law enforcement organizations in efforts to target sideshows and street racing issues. In prior years, some of the federal grant funds have been spent on social media campaigns aimed at educating the public about the dangers of aggressive driving, speeding, and street racing. With the continuation of the RADARS grant, the CHP will be able to run a campaign with similar goals through the end of September 2022.
Watch the YouTube video. Aggressive, angry driving is dangerous driving. The news clip below documents terrible “road rage” behavior captured on video in Sacramento a few years ago.
Car Accident Lawyers in Sacramento
Hello and thank you for reading our report on the renewed RADARS grant. I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident attorney. Aggressive driving, speeding, and other types of negligent driving behaviors lead to an unacceptable number of automobile accidents in our region. Many of these crashes cause serious injuries and/or wrongful deaths. If you or someone in your family has been harmed due to the actions of a negligent driver, call to speak with an experienced injury attorney at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400. We are happy to offer free and friendly legal advice. If you prefer, you may also send your inquiries via our online contact form.
To learn more about our firm and the professional services we offer, please visit the following links:
Photo: by Thai An via Unsplash
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