ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority has received a $50,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety to increase awareness about the need for motorists to safely share the road with bicyclists and pedestrians.
From 2012-2014, at least 39 bicyclists and 152 pedestrians were killed and more than 6,700 bicyclists and pedestrians were injured on Orange County streets.
Recognizing that this is an issue that affects all of Orange County residents regardless of which transportation mode they use, the OCTA applied for and received the grant to promote the message of safety.
The grant will help pay for the production of two safety videos addressing some of the primary reasons why collisions occur. The videos will focus on bicycle and pedestrian safety and will be broadcast in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
The videos will be shared on OCTA’s website, octa.net, through various social media channels and will be distributed to all 34 Orange County cities for potential use on city websites and local cable channels to help spread the message.
OCTA also will spread the safety message by participating in several public events throughout the year, including National Bike Safety Month in May and California’s Pedestrian Safety Month in September.
The goal of the state’s Office of Traffic Safety is to do what it can to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries. It works toward that goal by making grants available to help enforce traffic laws and educate the public about traffic safety.
For more information on bicycle programs and safety in Orange County, visit octa.net/bike.
