U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $49 Million in Federal Grants to States To Deter Impaired Driving, Increase Seat Belt Use

Topics:  Norman Y. Mineta

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
October 8, 2002

NHTSA 64-02
Tuesday, October 8, 2002
Contact: Faithia Robertson
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced incentive grants totaling $49 million to states for implementing tough programs to combat alcohol-impaired driving and to increase the use of seat belts and child restraints.

"We have made substantial progress in reducing alcohol-impaired driving in America, yet even a single traffic fatality from this, or any other cause, is too many," Secretary Mineta said.  "These grants represent important incentives to reduce impaired driving and increase seat belt use."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41,730 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2001.  Of these, 17,448 fatalities were alcohol-related.  Motor vehicle crashes cost the nation more than $230 billion annually.

NHTSA data shows that seat belts and child restraints save lives.  NHTSA estimates that more than 11,000 lives are saved by seat belts each year and another 300 lives per year are saved by child restraints.  The seat belt use rate in the United States is nearly 75 percent, and the child safety seat use rate for children under five is more than 91 percent, according to the June 2002 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS).

"Though we have made headway, the work before us is even harder - making these grants all the more essential to our progress," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D.

These grants were authorized by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA-21).  TEA-21 included more than $500 million in incentive grants to states over five years to increase seat belt use and more than $700 million in incentive grants for states over six years to enact and enforce tough laws to prevent alcohol-impaired driving.

This is the fifth year for grant awards under the TEA-21 Section 410 alcohol-impaired driving prevention program.  The 34 states that complied with requirements of this section of TEA-21 will share FY 2002 grants of nearly $35 million.  A state may use these grant funds only to implement and enforce impaired driving programs and laws.  The alcohol-impaired driving prevention program rewards states for meeting strong impaired driving program and performance requirements.

This is the fourth year for occupant protection program grant awards under TEA-21.   The 33 jurisdictions, including 29 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and two U.S Territories that have complied with the requirements of this section of TEA-21, will share

FY 2002 grants totaling $14.25 million.  A state may use these grant funds only to implement and enforce occupant protection programs and laws.  The occupant protection program (TEA-21 Section 405) incentive grants reward states for meeting strong seat belt and child safety seat use laws and program requirements.

A table listing the amounts and types of grants awarded to states follows: 

FY 2002 Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection Program Grants

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