Costa Mesa, Calif., may see more traffic safety programs and police patrols after the city received a $250,000 grant Oct. 27 from the state Office of Traffic Safety, which funds initiatives to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries.
“This grant emphasizes the two most effective ways to change behaviors—education and enforcement,” Costa Mesa Police Department’s Lt. Clint Dieball said in a statement.
According to the police department, the funds will be used for the following:
- More patrols and DUI checkpoints targeting suspected impaired drivers
- Targeting drivers violating California’s hands-free cell phone law, which prohibits drivers from using cell phones while holding them in their hands
- More enforcement of accident-causing traffic violations such as speeding, running red lights or stop signs, lane changes and poorly executed turns, and failure to yield to other vehicles when required
- Community presentations on traffic safety
- Collaboration with neighboring agencies
- Officer training, including those for field sobriety tests, impaired driving enforcement, and drug recognition
According to the city’s most recent data, between 2015 and 2019, nearly 20 percent of accidents were caused by impaired driving and another 20 percent by speeding.
Compared to the state, Costa Mesa has 2.5 percent more impaired drivers and nearly 4 percent more of those that drive aggressively.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the amount of the grant Costa Mesa received from the state, which was $250,000. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
