UC Irvine Health System
01/09/2025 | Press release | Archived content
UC Irvine awarded $1 million to promote traffic safety among Latino youth
UC Irvine awarded $1 million to promote traffic safety among Latino youth
January 09, 2025
Irvine, Calif.- The UC Irvine School of Medicine announced today that it has received a $1 million state grant to promote driver safety among Latino youth.
"By focusing on young driver safety with a lifespan perspective, namely health, education and employment, we aim to help reduce crashes, prevent injuries and expand future opportunities for our youth. We're working hard toward guiding youth into an early adulthood where they can be safe and flourish."
The program, which runs through September 2025, brings together unique collaborations between Santa Ana communities and UC Irvine transportation safety and science partners.
Efforts focused on young driver safety, behavior and instruction will include:
- Developing and implementing a novel curriculum focused on the "how" and "why" of Youth Thriving in Life Transitions with Transportation.
- Leveraging new traffic safety educational exposure and experience among youth to enhance their driver safety knowledge and behavior.
- Providing community and school education presentations and participation in community partnership events.
- Offering a professional drivers' training course that further exposes and educates youth to safe driving behaviors.
- Youth- and parent-focused messaging about transportation safety and transportation science regarding health, education and employment.
"The Office of Traffic Safety is proud to support programs that empower young drivers with the knowledge and skills to make safe choices on the road," OTS Acting Director Jessica Chan said.
"This partnership highlights the importance of addressing the unique challenges Latino youth face, fostering safer communities, and creating a foundation for lifelong success. Together, we are investing in the safety and well-being of the next generation."
The OTS grant is supported by funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California's largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, an acute care hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health - Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and ambulatory care centers across the region. Recognized as a Top Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to Orange County's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.