South Lake Tahoe Police Department has been awarded a $35,500 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for a yearlong program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department will use the money as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep roads safe.

After falling dramatically between 2006 and 2010, the number of people killed and injured in traffic collisions has been slowly rising. Particularly alarming, according to law enforcement, are recent increases in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, the growing dangers of distracting technologies, and the emergence of drug-impaired driving as a major problem. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other problems such as drunken driving, speeding and crashes at intersections.

Activities that the grant will fund include:

·       Educational presentations

·       DUI checkpoints

·       DUI saturation patrols

·       Motorcycle safety enforcement

·       Distracted driving enforcement

·       Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement

·       Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement

·       Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement

·       Specialized DUI and drugged driving training.