PPD awarded $100,000 road safety grant

The Porterville Police Department has been awarded a $100,000 grant which will be used in an effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic collisions in the community.

The grant will be used to increase patrols throughout the community and to provide for other traffic safety programs. Increased patrols will be done in an effort to reduce unlawful and dangerous behavior on the road.

“This grant funding allows us to support our ongoing traffic safety efforts in the community,” Porterville Police Department Lieutenant Mark Azevedo said. “Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling.”

The grant will also provide for additional DUI checkpoints focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers and for enforcement against those who use a cell phone while driving.

Enforcement operations will be focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors in an effort to make conditions safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. Enforcement operations will also be focused on the most serious violations that cause crashes such as speeding, failure to yield or stop at a stop sign or stop light and improper turning and lane changes.

The grant will also help fund community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

In addition the grant will help fund officer training and re-certification on the Standard Field Sobriety Test and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement.

The grant program runs through September, 2023. The grant was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.