For drivers traveling through Redlands, a routine trip to work, school or the grocery store can change in an instant when another motorist runs a red light, looks down at a cellphone or gets behind the wheel while impaired. Preventing those potentially devastating moments is the goal of a new traffic safety investment awarded to the Redlands Police Department.
The department has received a $94,300 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to strengthen traffic enforcement and education programs intended to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on local roadways.
The funding will support additional enforcement operations, community safety presentations, officer training and collaboration with neighboring law enforcement agencies. The grant-funded program will continue through September 2027.
“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” said Traffic Unit Sgt. Jeff Frisch. “Through a combination of education and enforcement efforts, our goal is to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent crashes, and make our roads safer for everyone.”
The grant comes as traffic safety remains an important concern for communities throughout California. In Redlands, where residential neighborhoods, busy commercial corridors, school zones and downtown streets share the roadway with commuters and visitors, safe driving practices are essential to protecting motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
One of the primary areas of emphasis will be impaired driving. The department plans to conduct DUI checkpoints and targeted patrols designed to identify motorists suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
These operations are intended to discourage impaired driving before a collision occurs while allowing officers to intervene when they encounter dangerous behavior.
Distracted driving will also receive increased attention. High-visibility enforcement operations will focus on violations of California's hands-free cellphone law, which restricts drivers from holding and operating electronic devices while driving.
Even a brief distraction can prevent a driver from noticing a changing traffic signal, a vehicle slowing ahead or a pedestrian entering a crosswalk.
The department will also conduct operations targeting driving behaviors that endanger people walking or riding bicycles. These efforts are particularly relevant in areas where vehicles share streets with pedestrians, cyclists and families traveling to schools, parks and businesses.
Additional enforcement will focus on violations frequently associated with collisions, including speeding, failure to yield, running stop signs or red lights, improper turns and unsafe lane changes.
Although these violations may sometimes be viewed as minor driving mistakes, they can have serious consequences when they occur near intersections, crosswalks or congested roadways.
The grant also recognizes that enforcement alone cannot address every traffic safety challenge.
Community presentations will provide information about impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and the importance of protecting pedestrians and bicyclists. These educational efforts are intended to encourage safer choices before motorists encounter an emergency.
Another portion of the funding will support specialized officer training and recertification.
Officers may receive training in Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) procedures. These programs help law enforcement personnel recognize and evaluate signs of impairment, including impairment involving substances other than alcohol.
The department will also participate in collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies, recognizing that traffic safety concerns do not stop at municipal boundaries.
A dangerous driver traveling through Redlands may have begun the trip in another city or may continue into surrounding communities. Regional coordination can help agencies address behaviors that affect drivers throughout the Inland Empire.
OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty emphasized the importance of combining enforcement with public awareness.
“Through focused traffic enforcement and education, we’re working toward a future where everyone will be safe on California roads,” Dougherty said. “By encouraging people to prioritize safety in their daily choices, we are creating a strong road safety culture together.”
For Redlands residents, the program represents an investment in prevention rather than simply responding after collisions occur.
A driver who chooses to put away a cellphone, slow down near an intersection or arrange a sober ride home can help prevent an injury that might otherwise affect an entire family.
The grant announcement does not specify the number of additional enforcement operations or checkpoints that will be conducted, nor does it provide a projected reduction in collisions. The program's effectiveness will depend on its implementation and the driving behaviors it helps change.
Funding is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As the program moves forward through September 2027, the Redlands Police Department will have additional resources to address dangerous driving while reinforcing a message that applies to everyone who uses the road.
Traffic safety is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement. It depends on the daily decisions of drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists who share the same streets.
For Redlands, the ultimate measure of this $94,300 investment will not be the number of citations issued, but the crashes prevented, injuries avoided and families who arrive home safely.