Full Notification

In a continuing effort to save lives and prevent injuries on our city streets, the Modesto Police Department is expanding their regular traffic enforcement with special operations. These operations are funded by a recent $300,000 grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety. A new DUI enforcement trailer and changeable messaging signs will be purchased and special traffic enforcement measures will be instituted by the Modesto Police Department as law enforcement continues their commitment to keeping roadways safe through both enforcement and education.

“We are pleased to once again receive this state funding for traffic safety,” said Police Chief Michael G. Harden. “These additional funds will allow us to continue to strengthen our traffic safety enforcement efforts in order to reduce injuries and fatalities on our city streets.”

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant is to assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions. Traffic deaths from all causes declined in 2009 in California by 10.3 percent from 3,434 killed in 2008 to 3,081 in 2009. The state recorded 950 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2009, a 7.6 percent decline from 1,025 in 2008. However, DUI deaths remain at 31 percent of fatalities.

“Everyone in California should be heartened with these figures,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “But as encouraging as this is, we can’t let up on the efforts to encourage and enforce traffic safety. Thousands are still losing their lives or being severely injured on our roadways.”

The grant activities will specifically target DUI offenders, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, speed related offenses, motorcycle safety enforcement, and red light running. This will be done through the use of DUI/Driver’s license checkpoints and roving DUI saturation patrols as well as other special enforcement operations.

The grant also provides funding for officers to conduct overtime operations and special enforcement activities.

For the second year in a row, special Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operations will be conducted. Motorcycle fatalities have finally turned and dropped in California, following a decade rise in deaths. In 2009, 393 motorcyclists were killed, a 29 percent drop from 2008 statistics. Sadly, California remains one of 3 states that still lead the nation in motorcyclist deaths.

Modesto Police Officers will be conducting specialized enforcement efforts throughout the course of the next year. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcycles. Officers will be cracking down on traffic violations made by motorcyclists, and other vehicle drivers, that result in far too many motorcycle collisions, injuries, and deaths.

“More people are making it home safely and alive each day,” said Murphy. “But to keep this trend going, we will continue to strive to meet our vision – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”

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