Mistakes made behind the wheel of a vehicle can be costly and life changing. To emphasize the message and save lives, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will utilize a federal grant to implement a yearlong statewide campaign aimed at reducing the number of collisions associated with aggressive driving.

“Speed is the number one cause of traffic collisions in California,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “With the help of this grant, the CHP plans to address this issue by educating motorists of the dangers associated with aggressive driving and providing a more visible presence for improved behavior.”

Speed, coupled with aggressive driving, consistently contributes to the vast majority of serious collisions in California. In Fiscal Year 2013-2014, speed was a factor in approximately 43 percent of all fatal and injury collisions in the state. That year, more than 27,294 speed-related collisions resulted in the death of more than 304 people and the injury of more than 39,720 others.

With the support of a federal traffic safety grant, Regulate Aggressive Driving and Reduce Speed (RADARS), the CHP will educate motorists about the dangers of aggressive driving and actively enforce aggressive driving laws. The main goal of RADARS is to achieve a five percent reduction in the number of fatal and injury traffic collisions in which speed, improper turning, and driving on the wrong side of the road are primary collision factors. The RADARS program will also focus on street racing and sideshows. To achieve these goals, the CHP will combine enhanced enforcement with an active public awareness campaign.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.