Grant to aid crackdown on bad drivers

The Porterville Police Department has been awarded a $69,609 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety in an effort to reduce accidents in the city.

The grant is designed to be a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts.

The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions. While traffic deaths from all causes declined by nearly 39% between 2006 and 2010 in California, state and federal officials anticipate that figures will show a slight rise in 2011. DUI deaths remain the largest factor, accounting for nearly 30% of traffic fatalities. Recent trends show increases in two new categories — distracted driving and drug-impaired driving.

Porterville had a higher number of pedestrian fatalities last year.

Activities the grant will fund include:
- Specialized DUI and drugged driving training, such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, and Drug Recognition Evaluator.

- DUI Saturation Patrols.

- Motorcycle safety enforcement.

- Distracted driving enforcement.

- Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement.

- Warrant service operations targeting DUI offenders with multiple convictions.

- Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders.

- Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from court after having their driver license suspended or revoked for drunk driving.