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Grants of $36.4 Million to Increase Safety Belt Use in the USA, plus $10 Million for Advertising 

March 31, 2004

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will share $36.4 million in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants for states that develop innovative projects to increase safety belt use.

"Safety belts are the most effective safety device in a car. They prevent people from getting killed in crashes,” Secretary Mineta said. “These grants provide incentives to states to enact and enforce laws that promote use and educate people about the effectiveness of safety belts.”

Secretary Mineta said that safety belts also save money. Injuries to unbuckled occupants cost this country roughly $18 billion each year in medical care and lost productivity.

According to NHTSA, safety belts are the most effective safety device in vehicles and their increasing use has saved more than 164,750 lives since 1975. In 2003, safety belt use in the United States reached an all-time high of 79 percent, in part due to high visibility enforcement programs funded by NHTSA.

The grant program seeks to encourage new approaches to further increase safety belt use, with a major focus on high visibility enforcement of safety belt laws, coupled with public information and education.

In addition to the $36.4 million, Congress has directed the department to use $10 million in grant funds to purchase advertising to air during safety belt enforcement mobilization campaigns.

"Safety belt use can prevent injury and death. We know that enforcement of belt laws that is advertised and highly visible increases belt use," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D.

The innovative project grants were awarded competitively. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were eligible to apply. New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming did not apply for the grants. The amounts for individual state fiscal year 2004 grants range from $250,000 to more than $3.4 million.

The following list shows the states receiving grants and their grant amounts:

Alabama $610,000
Alaska $340,000
Arizona $500,000
Arkansas $750,000
California $3,417,416
Colorado $310,000
Connecticut $802,000
Delaware $385,000
D.C. $277,610
Florida $2,700,000
Georgia $290,000
Hawaii $460,000
Idaho $480,000
Illinois $800,000
Indiana $1,000,000
Iowa $250,000
Kansas $650,000
Kentucky $540,000
Louisiana $250,000
Maryland $400,000
Massachusetts $465,000
Maine $200,000
Michigan $1,175,000
Minnesota $810,000
Mississippi $700,000
Missouri $405,000
Montana $290,000
Nebraska $318,000
Nevada $600,000
New Jersey $1,200,000
New Mexico $590,000
New York $250,000
North Carolina $770,000
North Dakota $250,000
Ohio $1,350,500
Oklahoma $685,000
Oregon $320,000
Pennsylvania $2,485,000
Rhode Island $250,000
South Carolina $600,000
Tennessee $250,000
Texas $3,020,000
Utah $370,808
Vermont $675,000
Virginia $925,000
Washington $975,000
West Virginia $460,000
Wisconsin $540,000
Puerto Rico $250,000

Total $36,391,334

END

Source: DOT News