County Public Health Awarded Grants for Traffic Safety Education

Press release from the Public Health Division of the County Health Services Agency:

Nov. 24, 2020

The Public Health Division of the County Health Services Agency recently received two grant awards, totaling $255,000 in funding, from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to implement a year of programming.

Efforts will be aimed at improving traffic safety and specifically focused on pedestrians, bicyclists, and child passengers. Each grant will be used for a variety of objectives, many of which will be delivered virtually during COVID-19 pandemic response restrictions.

Grant activities include:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety ($190,000):

• Delivering bicycle and pedestrian safety classroom presentations in schools.

• Distributing bicycle helmets and lights to low-income community members.

• Conducting walking field trips and on bike safety trainings in schools.

• Hosting community bike rides promoting safe cycling.

• Participating in community outreach events to increase awareness around traffic safety.

Child Passenger Safety ($65,000):

• Conducting car seat checkup events and one-on-one appointments to inspect car seats.

• Offering Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) training.

• Distributing child safety seats to families in need.

These grant activities will be implemented in collaboration with the Community Traffic Safety Coalition as part of a countywide Vision Zero initiative. Vision Zero considers any loss of life from traffic crashes unacceptable and preventable. More information can be found at www.sctrafficsafety.org/Vision...

“This funding will help ensure the safety of those out biking or walking and plays a vital role in ensuring the proper use of child safety seats,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. The grant program runs from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This press release was produced by the Public Health Division of the County Health Services Agency. The views expressed here are the author's own.