City of Madera awarded $85,000

The safety of everyone traveling is the focus of a grant awarded to City of Madera Police Department. The $85,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will assist in the Police Department’s efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on Madera roads.

“All of us have experienced an extraordinary year responding to the pandemic and fires, but it’s important that we remain at the forefront of traffic safety,” Sgt. Randy Williams of Madera Police Department said. “This funding will allow us to continue our efforts to educate our community about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving 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 awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: excess speed, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.

• DUI Checkpoints conducted at various high-traffic locations.

• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert.

• Participation in various safety-enhancing efforts focusing on teen drivers, winter driving hazards, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and seatbelt and child seat use.

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