PSPD Receives Grants to Improve Traffic Data Reporting & to Reduce Deaths and Injuries

PALM SPRINGS —The Palm Springs Police Department (PSPD) received a $24,800 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to streamline processes to collect and report traffic data.

“Accurate and timely data is critical to the safety of our roads,” Sgt. Arnold Galvan said in a prepared statement. “This funding will help paint a clearer picture of our biggest traffic safety issues.”

“This program is new for 2021 and is an effort to improve how quickly crash data is collected and reported,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said in a prepared statement. “High-quality safety data is critical. It’s used to determine the nature of our road safety problems and it informs our actions in how best to address them. We are happy to provide local agencies with the necessary tools to develop or enhance their electronic traffic reporting systems.”

Grant funds will be used to develop a new, or update an existing, electronic crash reporting system with software that can submit data to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS).

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.

PSPD was also awarded a second $100,000 grant from OTS to assist the PSPD’s efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on Palm Springs roads.

“These are trying times, and now more than ever, we must be at the forefront of traffic safety,” Sgt. Arnold Galvan said. “This funding allows us to educate and enhance the safety of all residents.”

The one-year grant is for the 2021 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.

The grant will fund a variety of traffic safety programs, including:

  • Patrols with emphasis on alcohol and drug-impaired driving prevention.
  • Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
  • Patrols with emphasis on the education of traffic rights for bicyclists and pedestrians.
  • Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: excess speed, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.
  • Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speed, bicycle, and pedestrian safety.
  • Collaborative efforts with neighboring agencies on traffic safety priorities.
  • Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

“Through education and behavior changes, we hope to create an environment that is safe and equitable for all road users in our community,” Sgt. Galvan said.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

Image Sources

  • Palm Springs Police Department: PSPD - Facebook