CHP trying to improve bike, pedestrian safety

The California Highway Patrol has received a federal grant to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists throughout California.

California has seen an increase in the number of traffic-related pedestrian and bicyclist collisions.  The most recent data from the CHP reveals 752 pedestrians and 164 bicyclists were killed in collisions statewide in 2013, a 6.6 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities and a 10.6 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities from the previous year.

The California Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Enforcement and Education Project III grant runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2016. During this campaign, CHP officers will use pedestrian and bicyclist collision information to enhance enforcement and public education campaigns. Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The CHP’s enforcement efforts will include California’s 3-Feet for Safety law, which requires drivers to keep a minimum distance of three feet between any part of a motor vehicle and a bicycle.

The CHP’s educational efforts will include presentations that promote safe pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist behavior; bike rodeos; and distributing pedestrian and bicycle safety materials.