The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released $562 million in grants for highway safety programs to Offices of Highway Safety nationwide.
In New York, $9.3 million in grants were awarded to agencies and organizations for implementation of education, enforcement, prosecution, and adjudication countermeasures to deter and detect drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers. These funds are supporting more than 20 projects including eight to enhance the capabilities of drug and alcohol toxicologists and toxicology labs throughout the State.
$2.8 million in grants were awarded to communities throughout the state to develop and deliver traffic safety public information and education campaigns based on the populations most at risk in these communities.
More than 250 police departments across the state have been awarded $6.5 million in grants to enforce traffic laws at high-crash locations. These departments will use crash data to identify the locations, days, times and traffic infractions to be addressed by each agency.
Grants were provided to state and local agencies and organizations in the amount of $1.7 million to conduct child passenger safety education programs, train child passenger safety technicians, and establish car seat fitting stations throughout the state. To date, more than 165 grants have been awarded.
“We know that most of the 36,560 roadway fatalities in 2018 related to behavioral issues such as speeding, alcohol and drug-impaired driving, distraction, motorcycle safety, and seat belt usage. The grants we’re announcing today will help our partners in state and local law enforcement and other transportation officials enforce their highway laws and educate the public so that our roads will be safer for everyone,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator James Owens.
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