The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded more than $800 million in traffic safety grants.
In an announcement on Monday, the NHTSA said it had awarded funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. States will receive the funds once Congress appropriates the money for the next fiscal year, starting Oct. 1.
“NHTSA’s grant funding makes our roads safer by empowering states, territories and tribal communities to address the critical issues and trends they see on their local roads. Our strong support for law enforcement ensures that officers will continue to identify and stop dangerous drivers before they can hurt others on the road. State highway safety offices will put these dollars to use to save lives, and we will continue to support and facilitate their critical work,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said.
The agency said it plans to allocate the grants through the Section 402 Highway Safety Program funds ($409 million) and the Section 405 National Priority Safety Program ($382 million). The funds can be used for safety programs and initiatives including high-visibility enforcement mobilizations, data collection for trend identification, training on inspections and installations of car seats, training prosecutors and judges on impaired driving, and helping law enforcement enforce move-over laws, among other things.
Among the Section 402 formula grant awards are $6.5 for Alabama, $20.8 million for Florida, and $31.9 million for Texas.