Community Corner

Santa Clara Public Health Dept. Receives Grant To Fight Drunk Driving

The County's Traffic Safe Communities Network was awarded a $200,000 grant by the State.

Santa Clara County is getting a push to fight drunk driving across the state.

California Office of Traffic Safety awarded the Santa Clara County Public Safety Office a $200,000 grant in order to coordinate statewide efforts for preventing motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by drunk drivers.

The funding will support TSCN’s teen-focused DUI prevention activities such as presentations by local experts, education through social media sites such as Facebook, and a video contest for teens.

TSCN will also offer a “Responsible Beverage Service” training for owners, managers, and servers of stores that sell alcoholic beverages. The training will help raise awareness about state and local alcohol policies, and provide information about how to successfully comply with the policies.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year olds, and crashes caused by impaired drivers are often deadly. In 2010, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) reported 85 collisions in Santa Clara County involving drivers under age 21 who had been drinking. The crashes resulted in 100 injuries and 5 deaths.


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