The Turlock Police Department was awarded a $110,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for enforcement and education programs with the goal of reducing the number of serious injuries and deaths on local roads.

“This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community,” Turlock Police Officer Richard Fortado said. “We will be able to increase our efforts in making our roads safer for everyone and focus on critical areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving, and speeding.”

The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:

• DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.

• High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.

• Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at 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.

• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, 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 grant program will run through September 2024.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.