The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded the El Cajon Police Department a $200,000 grant Wednesday to be used in preventing traffic-related injuries.
The funding from the grant will be used to improve the city’s roadways and residents' quality of life through enforcement and education, according to the City of El Cajon.
The number of roadway fatalities has increased in California by 17 percent since 2010, according to a statement from the City of El Cajon. In 2015 there were 3,429 fatalities.
“We strive to make the streets of El Cajon a safe place to drive, bike and walk,” said Sgt. Kevin Maxwell of the El Cajon Police Department’s Traffic Division in a statement. “…Our goal is to gain compliance to state/local traffic laws in order to make your commute safe.”
Pedestrian and bicycle deaths anow make up 25 percent of all traffic deaths, according to the statement. Drug-impaired driving and distracted driving are also rapidly-growing dangers.
Driving under the influence is still the number one reason for accidents, El Cajon PD said. DUIs include prescription drugs, marijuana, and alcohol.
“Unsafe behaviors account for 94 percent of traffic crashes,” said Rhonda Craft, the director of California’s Office of Traffic Safety. “This grant emphasizes the two most effective ways to change behaviors: education and enforcement.”
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The El Cajon Police Department said it plans to use the grant money to provide the public with educational presentations, safety checkpoints and patrols, help enforce bicycle and pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety, seat belt and child safety, and enforcement of speed, red lights, right of way, and distracted driving.
