From April Dembosky:
The California Highway Patrol has received $6.1 million in federal grant money to crack down on speeding.
Funding will be distributed to cover the cost of patrols on state highways and county roads where the majority of speed-related crashes have occurred, particularly fatal crashes, said Fran Clader, a spokesperson for California Highway Patrol.
Only one road has been designated so far - $530,000 is set aside to fund increased traffic enforcement along Highway 12 within Solano, Stockton, and south Sacramento County while CalTrans makes safety improvements. The stretch of highway between Interstate 80 in Fairfield and I-5 near Lodi has been referred to as "Blood Alley" for the number of fatal accidents occurring on it.
The grant, administered through the California Office of Traffic Safety, also includes 42,000 hours of officer overtime to conduct speed enforcement patrols and public awareness activities throughout the state.
Speed is the primary cause of nearly one third of injury-causing collisions in California, according to CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. Between 2006 and 2008, there were 70,265 injury collisions where speed was the primary cause of the accident; 1,133 people died in those accidents.
"Speed limits exist for a reason," Farrow said in a statement. "Drivers simply need to slow down."
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