The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today announced that it received a $60,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to step up motorcycle safety. This grant supports the city’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic deaths.
Grant funds will be used for a variety of activities promoting motorcycle safety and include:
- Participating in Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May.
- Partnering with the San Francisco Police Department to provide nine free hands-on motorcycle safety trainings, where riders can practice various urban safety skills and improve their defensive riding.
- Providing motorcycle clubs, shops, riders, and drivers educational material to increase awareness about motorcycle safety.
Each year in San Francisco, about 30 people lose their lives and over 500 more are severely injured while traveling on city streets. California has nearly 900,000 registered motorcycles. As vulnerable road users, motorcyclists are more likely to experience severe or fatal injuries when they are in a traffic crash. In San Francisco, motorcycle deaths continue to be overrepresented, comprising 30% of all traffic deaths in 2021, underscoring the need for more safety training and education.
This grant program runs from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
More information on how to sign up for the free hands-on motorcycle safety trainings will be shared early Spring 2023. You can also email VisionZeroSF@sfmta.com to get updates.
Vision Zero (www.visionzerosf.org) – Vision Zero is the City’s commitment to prioritizing street safety and ending traffic deaths. These deaths and injuries are unacceptable and preventable, and San Francisco is committed to stopping further loss of life. The full program is outlined in the Vision Zero SF Action Strategy.
Office of Traffic Safety (www.ots.ca.gov) – The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is committed to our vision of a transportation system where everyone traveling on California roads will go safely. The OTS does this by administering traffic safety grants to local and state agencies for innovative programs that strive to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries. These programs educate road users on traffic laws and best safety practices that keep everyone safe when on the go.