The Hollister Police Department received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support ongoing local enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on the city’s roads.
The grant program runs through September 2026, says a press release from the Hollister Police Department.
“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” Hollister Police Capt. Michael Paddy said. “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.”
Police said the grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:
• DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
• High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Enforcement operations focused on dangerous driver behaviors that put pedestrians and cyclists at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes, including speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and red light running and improper turning or lane changes.
• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Officer training and/or recertification for Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert.
“Through focused traffic enforcement and education, we’re working toward a future where everyone will be safe on California roads,” OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty said. “By encouraging people to prioritize safety in their daily choices, we are creating a strong road safety culture together.”
The awareness, presentations, training and safety checkpoint are all great ideas. However, the real safety issue & concerns are the roads, visibility at night, lighting, stop lights & stop signs, guard rails, bike lanes, and speeding. There are so many unsafe roads at night here within Hollister and the out lying areas, that its amazing we do not have more fatalities and major collisions. We need a stop light or 4 way stop at Enterprise & Airline Hwy 25. We need street lights all along Airline highway 25 from Fairview all the way to Sunset St. We street lights and guardrails from Union Rd & Airline Hwy 25 all the way to San Felipe. And the list goes on for many poorly lit unsafe paths of travel for even the best drivers. The speeders along Airline Hwy 25 from Sunset St to Fairview every night after 9pm is a wreck or pedestrian hit and run just waiting to happen.