SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is pushing for change when it comes to safety culture on the roads.
The 'Go Safely' campaign has been around for a few years to promote safe driving habits. Now, there's a way for people to get more involved in keeping drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians safer.
Distracted driving and fatal crash numbers are a concern across the nation and in California. According to OTS, about 4,300 people were killed on California roads in 2021. OTS Deputy Director Tim Weisberg says the goal is zero.
"The number is staggering. It's 12 people a day, dying on our roads. Every day. That’s 12 people that walk out the door and don't come back to their family," said Weisberg. "That’s a number that stands out to us because these are people, everybody has somebody who cares about them, and everyone has been affected by someone who's been seriously injured or killed in a crash."
Weisberg says they want to change the culture of accepting bad driving habits to create safer roads and fewer deaths.
He says state traffic safety partners are continuously working together on the movement and they hope community members will too.
You can help by filling out a survey to bring attention to traffic safety issues in your area. Weisberg says people take pride in where they live and they hope local action and community involvement can empower people to make a difference.
"It's really to drive what we're calling traffic safety champions ... We want to connect you with resources, be at community meetings, be involved in some projects happening in your community to make your roads safer," said Weisberg. "We're gathering their contact information if they're willing to share it and connecting them with resources in their community."
Weisberg says if you fill out the traffic safety survey, they take that information to identify patterns. Then, they figure out how to address them. You may also receive additional information that can help.
