The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is strengthening its commitment to traffic safety education in Spanish-speaking communities, thanks to continued support from the California Office of Traffic Safety. For the fourth time, the CHP has received the El Protector grant, which will further its mission to provide critical traffic safety information to Spanish-speaking populations throughout California. This initiative underscores the CHP’s dedication to ensuring the safety of all who travel on the state’s roads.

California takes pride in its diversity, with the Hispanic/Latino community representing the largest ethnic group in the state, currently 15.6 million. Governor Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 “Latino Heritage Month” in support of California’s Latino community.

“Our primary goal is to improve safety on California’s roads,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “The El Protector program allows us to strengthen our relationships with California’s Spanish-speaking communities by providing crucial traffic safety tools and information that can reduce crashes and save lives.”

The El Protector program is essential for bringing critical traffic safety education to the communities. The program aims to reduce crashes and save lives by making traffic safety knowledge more accessible and ensuring all educational materials are available in Spanish.

Spanish-speaking CHP officers will lead these efforts by sharing safety tips via Spanish-language media and conducting presentations alongside community partners. These presentations will be held at key locations across the state, including health fairs, migrant camps, businesses with large numbers of Spanish-speaking employees, and Hispanic/Latino cultural events.

The presentations cover a wide range of topics including seat belt and child safety restraint use, the dangers of impaired or distracted driving, defensive driving techniques, and crash prevention strategies. Other subjects include safe driving practices for teens and parents, driver’s license requirements, and other CHP educational programs.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.