Christopher Murphy
Director

Office of Traffic Safety
For more information about OTS and its programs, go to www.ots.ca.gov.

Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

Funding law enforcement traffic safety operations:

• Awarded $103 million in 2007 grants supporting traffic safety programs implemented by 290 local and state entities.
• Funded 710 sobriety checkpoints in 2006, resulting in 2500 DUI arrests and 14,326 impounded vehicles - plus 1,560 roving patrols making 1,957 DUI arrests.
• Committed funding for 60 communities in 2006 to purchase state-of-the-art extrication and rescue equipment to expedite services to victims of motor vehicle crashes.
• Provided overtime funding to 243 police departments and the California Highway Patrol for seat belt enforcement during 2006 that resulted in 155,000 seat belt citations.

Educating the public about traffic safety laws:

• Presented more than 150 "Every 15 Minutes" anti-DUI presentations in high schools in 2006, reaching approximately 180,000 students throughout California.
• Reached 280,000 students through 5000 pedestrian and bicycle safety education presentations, where about 7,800 grant-funded bicycle helmets were distributed.

Developing results-driven traffic safety strategies:

• Initiated a $7 million FY 2006-07 program with county probation departments to target "worst of the worst" repeat Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenders.
• Partnered with state public safety operations to reduce holiday season deaths from traffic accidents by 30 percent in 2006.
• Trained more than 325 officers in 2006 in the detection of illegally modified vehicle engines - producing 221 citations.