By Staff
Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $400,000 grant that will help pinpoint locations in Alabama where vehicle crashes occur with greater than average frequency. Traffic safety and rescue personnel will use this information in an effort to prevent crashes, respond to crash scenes faster and save lives.
To improve the accuracy of traffic records and crash data, Northwest Shoals Community College, in partnership with the University of Alabama CARE Research and Development Laboratory will implement the Electronic Citation system.
The E Citation program will use Global Positioning System equipment to help law enforcement pinpoint and record exact locations of traffic crashes and will identify "hotspots" which involve speeding or alcohol.
"Far too many people die on Alabama's roads each year," said Riley. "This system will help make our highways safer by allowing public safety personnel to focus patrols on crash-prone roads and respond more quickly, especially in rural areas."
The E Citation equipment will be installed in approximately 300 to 400 patrol cars across the state. Officers will enter traffic citation information electronically which will then be transmitted to a database used by traffic courts. Allowing officers to submit citation information immediately from their patrol vehicles will eliminate errors and delays that occur when paper records must be manually entered into the computer. More than 100 law enforcement agencies will be participating in the project.
Riley notified Dr. Humphrey Lee, president of Northwest Shoals Community College, that the grant had been approved.
Funding for the grant was made available to the state through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the award.