Santa Monica News
SMPD Gets New Grants For Traffic Enforcement
By Michael Lambrose
Nov 12, 2012 - 10:18:24 AM

SANTA MONICA— The Santa Monica Police Department has been awarded several new grants by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A large portion of this funding will go directly to combat drunk and drugged driving in the city.  Two of the grants received are intended to solely address this issue.  This new funding will permit the Santa Monica Police Department to provide education to the community about the consequences of driving while impaired as well as further enforcing current laws. 

This new program will allow the Santa Monica Police Department to increase the number of DUI check points throughout the year.  It will also help fund training that will allow officers to better detect suspected DUI offenders.

Officials propose that driving under the influence is one of America’s most deadly crimes—resulting in nearly 800 deaths and over 24,000 injuries in California in 2010 alone.  DUI checkpoints, however, are reported to decrease crashes involving alcohol by 20 percent if such checkpoints are adequately publicized.  Authorities also state that these check points are extremely cost effective.

Some of the additional new funding will go to enforcing current distracted driver, motorcycle safety and speed, red light, and stop sign laws as well as the potential consequences of such actions.