The Morgan Hill Police Department received a traffic safety grant to support enforcement and education efforts, which in turn aim to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on local roads.
The $87,000 grant is from the California Office of Traffic Safety, and runs through September 2025, according to Morgan Hill Police.
“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” Morgan Hill Chief of Police Shane Palsgrove said. “By increasing enforcement of traffic laws and focusing on high-risk areas, we aim to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent crashes, and make our roads safer for everyone.”
According to MHPD, the grant will provide additional programs and resources in Morgan Hill, including:
• 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.
• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
• Officer training and/or recertification for Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert.
The grant was provided from the California OTS, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to data from the California OTS, there were 109 people killed or injured in traffic accidents in Morgan Hill in 2021. In crashes where alcohol was involved, 23 people were hurt or killed.
The same year in Morgan Hill, there were eight people hurt or killed in accidents involving motorcycles, and eight pedestrians were injured or killed in traffic incidents.
Among the reported crashes in 2021 in Morgan Hill, 15 of the injured or killed were involved in accidents where high speed was a factor; and 18 were injured or killed in nighttime collisions, according to the OTS website. Seven people were hurt or killed in hit and run incidents in Morgan Hill in 2021.
Also in 2021, a total of 112 motorists were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the OTS.
The OTS announced in an Oct. 2 press release that it is investing in improved traffic safety this year by distributing $149 million to state and local jurisdictions to expand safe biking and walking options, and funding education and enforcement programs related to the rules of the road.
“The OTS is supporting the biggest investments in traffic safety programs since the 1960s,” said OTS Director Barbara Rooney. “The once-in-a-generation funding will benefit communities across California as we continue to forge a path toward our goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads with the immediate action, urgency and undivided attention traffic safety deserves.”
