Ivey awards grants for statewide programs to increase traffic safety in Alabama
The money will support extra enforcement shifts, child passenger education, crash data systems and outreach on impaired and distracted driving.
Governor Kay Ivey has awarded 13 grants worth nearly $5.8 million to support statewide traffic safety programs.
The grants will fund programs that enhance safety through education, enforcement, technology and support for law enforcement officers, according to the governor's Friday press release.
“Dangerous behaviors such as impaired driving, speeding and failure to wear seat belts often have deadly consequences,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants that will support a comprehensive effort to prevent automobile crashes and ensure drivers follow the state’s traffic laws.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received three grants totaling about $1.9 million. ALEA will use an $800,000 grant to fund the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which allows officers to work extra-duty shifts during periods with high numbers of crashes due to speed and alcohol violations. A $502,954 grant will fund the Drug Recognition Expert Program, which trains officers to recognize whether a motorist is under the influence of drugs or is impaired by a medical or mental disorder. The DUI Enforcement Program received $600,000 to fund extra shifts for officers in areas that have been deemed hot spots for traffic collisions.
The Alabama Department of Public Health received four grants worth a total of about $1.1 million. A $60,000 grant will fund software maintenance and technical support for the Alabama 3-PCR Assistance Program, a patient care reporting system used by emergency medical services professionals who respond to traffic accidents. ADPH also received grants of $400,000 and $436,406 for the Child Passenger Safety Program, which trains motorists about the proper use of child safety restraints and provides education and car seats to those who have received citations. In addition, a grant of $201,022 will fund a program that educates the public about the dangers of distracted driving.
The University of Alabama received three grants totaling about $2.1 million for the university’s Center for Advanced Public Safety. The grants will fund initiatives to study seat belt usage rates, support law enforcement agencies through data collection and software systems, and conduct traffic safety outreach efforts.
The Office of Prosecution Services received $245,476 to maintain the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Grant program, which provides training, legal research and technical assistance to prosecutors and local law enforcement on traffic safety issues.
Children’s Hospital of Alabama received $195,165 to provide parents and caregivers with education and resources to prevent vehicle-related heatstroke.
SADD Inc. received $195,534 for the Driving Change Through Youth Leadership Program to reduce risky behaviors that contribute to teen crashes and fatalities.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“These programs employ different strategies, but they all have the shared goal of reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in Alabama,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join with Gov. Kay Ivey and these organizations in an effort to make our highways safer.”
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
