San Diego police awarded grant to crack down on road and bicycle safety
The San Diego Police Department Friday announced it has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for programs that aim to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on the road.
“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” SDPD Sgt. Gregory Minter said in a statement. “Through a combination of education and enforcement efforts, our goal is to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent crashes and make our roads safer for everyone.”
What programs does the grant cover?
The following programs will be covered by the grant:
— DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers;
— high-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law;
— enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk;
— enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running and improper turning or lane changes;
— collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies and;
— officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert.
The grant will also be used to bolster programs focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety, according to the department.
“We are excited to receive this grant, which will allow us to significantly expand our bicycle and pedestrian safety program,” Minter added. “By focusing on education, awareness and promoting safe practices, we aim to reduce crashes and prevent injuries. Ultimately, we’re working toward building more walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods where everyone can travel safely and confidently.”
Bicycle and pedestrian safety programs covered under the grant
The following bicycle and pedestrian safety programs will also be covered under the grant:
— community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with a high rate of pedestrian and/or bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes;
— bicycle training courses that educate youth on safe riding behaviors;
— helmet fitting inspections and distribution of helmets to children in need;
— community and school education presentations;
— community bike rides that encourage and teach riders safe riding skills;
— walking field trips with older residents and walking safety education for people who are experiencing homelessness and;
— pop-up events that promote the importance of visibility on roads with safety equipment such as reflective armbands, leg bands and bicycle headlights and taillights.
Local road safety advocates
The grant program will run through September 2026, but the grant amount was not immediately released.
One group that advocates for safer roads across San Diego is excited to hear about this San Diego police grant.
Laura Keenan, co-founder of Families for Safer Streets San Diego is grateful to hear about the grant San Diego Police received to improve road safety.
“I like that it has both enforcement as well as education. I also like that they have a focus on pedestrian and cyclist safety,” Laura Keenan with Families for Safer Streets San Diego said.
She understands the need for safer streets in the city. She said that preventing deaths and injuries on the road is not only important, it’s personal.
Laura said four years ago her husband was killed while riding his bike along Camino Del Rio south. He was on his way to the movies when he was hit and killed by a wrong way driver.
Laura’s world was shattered in an instant.
“How can this be happening right now? I just saw him. We had a life that we were expecting to live together,” Laura Keenan said.
She said that night Matt was taking what he believed was the safest route, but it turned out to be deadly.
“It just takes one stretch of road that’s not safe to make somebody lose their life,” Keenan said.
Matt also left behind a 15-month-old son who is now 5 years old.
“He asks why his daddy had to die and I have to tell him it’s because the streets weren’t designed to protect him,” Laura said.
Since then, Laura made it her mission to advocate for safer streets across San Diego. She believes enforcement is key in preventing deaths.
“People who kill with their cars are not held accountable. The driver who killed Matt only got four days in jail and so we really need enforcement — enforcement that prevents these crashes from happening who are given whatever the right enforcement is before they kill somebody,” Keenan said.
She said Families for Safer Streets San Diego and their Vision Zero Coalition partner are asking the city to include their budget making improvements on 15 streets that have been identified as the most dangerous.
They’re also advocating for reduced speed limits in school zones.
“Recently in San Diego, there were two kids killed within a week of each other, walking around our city and we need to be able to protect our children,” Keenan said.
Laura knows she can’t get her husband back but says she’s focusing on saving other families from going through the pain she’s had to endure.
“I just don’t want another family to experience this,” Keenan said.
This Sunday is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The event honors everyone killed in road crashes and works towards action in their name. They will be honoring 538 people killed in San Diego County over the past two years.
