SACRAMENTO - Reducing motorists' speed and enhancing public safety on our highways has long been a major concern for the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and now it's been awarded a federal grant to help enhance its traffic safety efforts.

"Speed limits exist for a reason," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "Excessive speed consistently causes a disproportionately large share of collisions, resulting in lives lost."

Between 2006 and 2008 there were an average of 26,755 fatal and injury collisions per year where speed was the primary collision factor. Those same crashes in that three-year period resulted in 1,133 victims killed.

The California Office of Traffic Safety grant entitled "Comprehensive Approach to Reducing Speed II (CARS II) hopes to reduce the number of speed-caused injury and fatal collisions on state highways, county roads and in motorcycle-involved collisions.

This grant includes nearly 42,000 hours of officer overtime funding to conduct enhanced-speed enforcement patrols and public awareness activities statewide through September 30, 2010. A portion of the CARS II grant has been specifically set aside for enhanced enforcement along State Route 12 within Solano, Stockton and south Sacramento CHP areas. The remainder of the hours will be distributed through the state.

"Drivers simply need to slow down," said Commissioner Farrow. "Year after year, speed is indicated as the primary collision factor in roughly one third of the fatal and injury collisions in California."

Funding for the grant to help keep our roadways safe was provided by OTS through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.