Thanks to state grant
The City of Lancaster received a $61,250 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) in October to implement the Just SNAP it! Traffic Safety Education Program. In Lancaster, drivers aged 16-25 years old were found to be at fault in 23.2% of crashes; as such, this grant will target education towards new drivers, distilling the importance of sharing the road with pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Car crashes are among the leading causes of teenage deaths across the country, partially because teens are more likely to underestimate or not recognize dangerous driving conditions. It is absolutely critical to provide them with the tools to recognize both general safety risks, as well as their own potentially risky behaviors on the road, and how to respond to unsafe situations,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “By helping our young drivers build safe driving habits, we can create safer roadways not only for them but all who share the road.”
SNAP stands for:
• Safety First
• Need a Ride?
• Act
• Peer Pressure and Encouragement
Grant funding will support a variety of activities focused on educating young drivers and building safe roadway habits, including:
• Classroom education programs to establish
safe habits on the road
• Participation in see “See And Be Seen” pro
gramming and events
• Building a community of peers and a culture
of road safety
• Bicycle rodeos
• Presence at community events
• Social media campaigns
• School and community educational
presentations
• Community workshops
• Development of a community-based
“Steering Committee” to guide program
development
“Everyone deserves a safe environment to travel, regardless of how people get to places,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Educating young people about safe driving plays a pivotal role in creating a strong safety culture that prioritizes traffic safety, especially for our most vulnerable road users.”
