As the summer heats up and residents and vacationers continue to revel in the sunshine and warm evenings, Hollister Police and statewide law enforcement officials are urging motorists to slow down and drive safely.
Hollister Police Department issued an advisory this week encouraging drivers to follow the speed limit and “slow the fast down.” The advisory comes as the California Highway Patrol announced it is awarding more than $41 million in grant funding to local law enforcement agencies to combat impaired driving.
Speeding remains a leading factor in deadly crashes and is consistently the top safety concern among surveyed California drivers, according to the 2025 California Traffic Safety Survey.
Even small increases in speed reduce the time drivers have to react and significantly increases the force of a crash, says the press release. Experts say slowing down is a simple, effective way to prevent tragedies on the roads.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 11,288 people died from speeding-related crashes in the U.S. in 2024, accounting for 29% of all traffic fatalities that year. In California alone, 1,139 people were killed in speeding-related crashes in 2024.
“Speeding is dangerous and puts everyone at risk,” Hollister Police Capt. Michael Paddy said. “Your daily choice to drive within the speed limit protects everyone in our community. Risky driving behaviors like speeding continue to cause preventable tragedies on California roads.”
The public awareness campaign follows on the heels of a July 18 two-vehicle accident just north of Hollister that left two motorists injured. CHP Hollister-Gilroy Area Capt. Noel Coady said the accident was likely the result of “unsafe speed.”
The CHP further announced on July 20 that more than $41 million in grant funding will support 183 police departments, crime labs, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to strengthen efforts to prevent and reduce impaired driving.
The funding comes from the voter-approved Proposition 64, which directs the CHP to administer grants for impaired driving education, prevention and enforcement programs, says a press release. The grants will also fund forensic toxicology testing at crime labs.
Revenue from the program comes from taxes on cannabis products sold in California.
“The substantial increase in grant funding this year will help even more communities keep California’s roadways safe,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “These grants support education, strengthen enforcement efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roads and expand research and forensic testing to improve traffic safety across the state.”
