Putting safety first: California awards $140 million in road safety projects
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Dec 2, 2025

Putting safety first: California awards $140 million in road safety projects

What you need to know: The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) awards more than $140 million to nearly 500 local projects to increase roadway safety and save lives.

SACRAMENTO – As California continues to see increased safety on its roadways, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the state's continued commitment to new and innovative investments in transportation safety, education and enforcement programs.

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is awarding over $140 million in federal funding for 495 grants to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and provide critical education and enforcement programs that serve the traffic safety needs of Californians.

We're reshaping traffic safety in California. Our investments are making our roads safer, our communities stronger, and our infrastructure more resilient. While there's still more work to do, we're doing it together, up and down the state, making smart, targeted improvements that will protect Californians for years to come.

Governor Gavin Newsom

This funding adds to the $14.6 billion in dedicated state funding for the state's transportation infrastructure. Recently, through a joint initiative on statewide policy on road safety by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), the state set an interim goal to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes by 30% by 2035. This targeted, prevention-first approach complements nearly $5 billion in investments specific to Governor Newsom's build more, faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades that improve roads, expand safe transportation options and continue to support the safe movement of people throughout the state. See projects in your community at build.ca.gov.

"Thanks to Governor Newsom's unwavering leadership, California is making bold, data-driven investments that prioritize safety and save lives," said CalSTA Secretary Toks Omishakin. "From equipping first responders with life-saving tools like the 'Jaws of Life' and digital alert technology, to supporting groundbreaking emergency care innovations like UCLA's prehospital blood transfusion pilot, these historic grants reflect our commitment to building a transportation system where every person—whether walking, biking or driving—can travel safely in every community."

The OTS funds hundreds of projects throughout the state in the areas of alcohol and drug-impaired driving, distracted driving, seat belts and child safety seats, bicycle and pedestrian safety, emergency medical services, police traffic services and traffic records. Funding also supports the OTS "Go Safely, California" program, a statewide public education and awareness initiative that drives forward a positive road safety culture.

"Every person deserves to be safe walking, biking, or driving," said OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty. "The OTS is committed to saving lives through a collective set of actions – public education, enforcement targeted at dangerous driving behaviors and establishing a strong road safety culture that empowers people to put safety first – that will reduce the number of people killed on our roads."

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As part of the traffic safety funding, the OTS is awarding nearly $22.3 million to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to support 20 projects that span both statewide initiatives and localized efforts. These grants aim to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries through targeted outreach, enforcement, and community engagement programs tailored to the unique needs of communities across California.

"These grants are a vital investment in the safety of every Californian who uses our roads," said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. "From educating young drivers to preventing impaired and distracted driving, this funding allows our officers to engage directly with communities and take meaningful action to reduce crashes and save lives."

The CHP statewide initiatives include:
  • Reduce Drunk Driving, $6 million: Funds DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols, and public education campaigns, including participation in national enforcement efforts.
  • Speed Prevention, Education and Enforcement Deterrence, $2.2 million: Supports enforcement and outreach to reduce crashes caused by speeding and aggressive driving.
  • Teen Impaired Driving Education, $2 million: Expands enforcement and education efforts, including the Every 15 Minutes program, to prevent impaired driving among teens.
  • Sideshow, Takeover, Racing, Education, and Enforcement Taskforce, $1.7 million: Aims to reduce illegal street racing and sideshows through public education, training, and enforcement.
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety, Education, Enforcement and Awareness Program, $1.25 million: Supports enhanced enforcement operations and public awareness campaigns to improve pedestrian safety, especially in school zones and at bus stops.
  • Teen Distracted Driving, $900,000: Partners with Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) to raise awareness about distracted driving and promote safe habits among teens.
  • California Restraint Safety Education and Training, $850,000: Provides child safety seat inspections, distributions, and training for CHP and allied agencies.
  • Get Educated and Ride Safe, $650,000: Enhances enforcement in high-risk areas for motorcycle crashes and promotes helmet use and safe riding practices.
  • Start Smart Teen Driver Safety Education, $575,000: Educates newly licensed teen drivers and their parents on safe driving habits through free, officer-led classes at CHP offices.
  • El Protector, $450,000: Provides Spanish-language traffic safety education at schools, businesses, and community events to reduce crashes and save lives.
  • Native-Tribal Traffic Education $425,000: Promotes traffic safety in tribal communities through outreach and education.
  • Adult Distracted Driving $350,000: Provides education and enforcement to reduce distracted driving among adults, including free interactive classes and community outreach.
  • Keeping Everyone Safe, $225,000: Helps older drivers stay safe and confident behind the wheel.

Among other projects funded today:
  • $54 million for law enforcement agencies: Helps more than 200 law enforcement agencies focus on the most dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, and distracted and impaired driving, as well as to support education programs focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety.
  • $13 million for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Programs: Funds walking and biking safety assessments and trainings to implement infrastructure solutions that improve active transportation, while also funding Safe Routes to Schools activities, classroom education, community events, bicycle trainings, and temporary road demonstrations focused on overall biking and walking safety.
  • $8.38 million for Car Seat Safety Programs: Supports more than three dozen county health departments, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, non-profits, and other organizations to provide free child safety seat education and installation assistance, child passenger safety technician training and certification, and no-cost child safety seats to families in need.
  • Nearly $3 million for Emergency Medical Services: Funds extrication equipment, also known as the "Jaws of Life," for nearly three dozen fire departments, that allow first responders to help and treat crash victims faster. Investments also include the use of e-digital alert technology by two fire departments and the Napa Police Department. Through phone-based apps, drivers are warned of emergency vehicles on the road so they can move over a lane or slow down when approaching first responders and other vehicles on the side of the road.
  • $921,895 for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of Emergency Medicine: Funds are supporting a new prehospital blood transfusion pilot program (LA-DROP) in collaboration with the UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine for data collection, research, and collaboration. Additionally, the funding evaluates a trauma training mobile application and analyzes crash care data to identify hotspots and post-crash care gaps in Los Angeles County.
  • $900,000 for the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG): Funds provide the development of a real-time and predictive traffic safety data analysis platform to assess safety risks and appropriate traffic safety measures to address them.  
  • $750,000 for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans): Funds help the department's ongoing work to develop a GenAI tool to identify corridors and intersections where bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements could be added and monitored.  
  • $429,500 for California, Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH): Funds the initial phase of a California Safe System Leadership Institute for California communities that have committed to the Safe System Approach (SSA), a more proactive, holistic approach to road safety. Additionally, funds support a CDPH pilot program to train local health departments on SSA implementation in their work.
  • $283,000 for Amador, Calaveras County Public Health Departments: Funds assist a comprehensive traffic safety program in two rural counties in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Projects will include safety trainings and equipment for youth at Head Start programs, on-foot pedestrian safety trainings for older adults at senior centers, and free child safety seats and education to parents/guardians in need.

The grant programs run until September 30, 2026.

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