U. S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $57 Million in Federal Grants to States To Deter Impaired Driving, Increase Safety Belt Use

Topics:  Norman Y. Mineta

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
September 29, 2003

NHTSA 42-03
Monday, September 29, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced incentive grants totaling $57 million to states for tough programs to combat alcohol-impaired driving and to increase the use of safety belts and child restraints.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that safety belts and child restraints save lives. NHTSA estimates that more than 14,000 lives are saved by safety belts each year and another 300 lives per year are saved by child restraints. The safety belt use rate in the United States is 79 percent, up from 75 percent in June 2002.  The child safety seat use rate for infants is 99 percent, the rate for 1-3 years old is 94 percent, and the rate for children 4 to 7 (booster seat age) is 83 percent.

"It is simply unacceptable that nearly 43,000 Americans died in traffic crashes on our roads last year," Secretary Mineta said. "One of the Bush administration's top transportation priorities is safety. The President underscored this commitment in the Administration's surface transportation reauthorization bill by proposing double the funding for safety over the previous legislation. "I urge Congress to pass the six-year bill so that we might continue funding these important incentive grant programs."

"Though we have made progress on safety belt usage, the work before us is even harder and these grants are essential," 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 safety 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.  The Bush administration's surface transportation legislative proposal, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA), would double funding for safety over TEA-21.

This is the sixth year for grant awards under the TEA-21 "Section 410" alcohol-impaired driving prevention program. The 36 states that have complied with the requirements of the program will share FY 2003 grants totaling $31.3 million.  A state becomes eligible for an incentive grant by meeting Congressionally-specified criteria leading to tougher enforcement of drunk driving laws or evidence of the state's effectiveness in cracking down on drunk driving.

This is the fifth year for "Section 405" occupant protection program grant awards under TEA-21. The 35 jurisdictions (31 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 2 U.S. Territories) that have complied with the requirements of the program will share FY 2003 grants totaling $25.7 million. To qualify for these grants, each state also must meet Congressionally-specified criteria.

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

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