Long Beach Health Department Awarded Grant to Expand Distracted Driving Prevention Program
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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has been awarded a $275,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to combat distracted driving and reduce related crashes. This grant, provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will support the Health Department's GreenlightLB Program in implementing various initiatives aimed at promoting safe driving practices in Long Beach.

According to Mayor Rex Richardson, distracted driving is a serious threat to everyone on the road. He expressed gratitude for the support from the Office of Traffic Safety and emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety and staying focused while behind the wheel. He also highlighted how a moment of distraction can have life-altering consequences.

The GreenlightLB Program will utilize the grant funds to implement educational activities and strategies focused on reducing distracted driving in Long Beach. These initiatives will take place between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, and include various efforts such as teen and young adult traffic safety education through high school campus activities, workshops, and assemblies. The program will also partner with community leaders to equip neighborhood organizations with tools to promote positive change and reduce distracted driving on local streets.

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Additionally, there will be demonstrations showcasing the real-life consequences of distracted driving as well as efforts to reduce health disparities through expanded partnerships offering bilingual and culturally relevant education. A peer-to-peer youth program will also be implemented to empower young people to advocate for traffic safety actively.

The program will also collect data on distracted driving through citywide observations and community surveys to inform future programming under the Long Beach Vision Zero initiative. Furthermore, a train-the-trainer course will be offered to prepare community leaders with knowledge and resources needed to educate the public on key traffic safety issues.

Health Department Director Alison King stated that with support from OTS, they are working towards shaping safer driving habits among young people and changing the culture around distracted driving. She emphasized the importance of working together to make Long Beach's streets safer for everyone.

Last year, the program reached 1,300 community members through various activities such as 16 distracted driving presentations and youth-focused workshops, 17 educational outreach tables and pop-ups, and the graduation of 12 students from the Safe Streets Ambassador program. The program also co-hosted the fourth annual Long Beach Safe Streets Awareness week and conducted two extensive observational assessments at intersections across the city.

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Barbara Rooney, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety, stressed the significance of silencing and putting away phones while driving as a simple yet crucial action that keeps both oneself and others on the road safe.

This is not the first time that the Health Department has received an OTS grant to support its efforts in preventing distracted driving. The activities funded by this grant align with strategies identified in their Strategic Plan, which includes developing and implementing a citywide distracted driving prevention program to change driver behaviors through public awareness, education, and informed decision-making. These initiatives also contribute to achieving goals outlined in Long Beach's Safe Streets Action Plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2026.

In conclusion, with this grant from OTS, the Health Department's GreenlightLB Program will continue its efforts towards promoting safe driving practices in Long Beach. Through various educational activities and partnerships with community leaders, they aim to reduce distracted driving-related crashes and make the city's streets safer for all.

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