Federal Funding Sources for Traffic Safety Data Activities

The range of funding sources presently available from U.S. Department of Transportation modal administrations to finance traffic safety data improvements is described below. Funding for such activities is not limited to programs specifically designated as “data” or as “safety” funding. Instead, funding for data improvements can be found in core programs and other established programs not normally thought of as “safety” programs.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Managed Programs

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), National Highway System (NHS), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), and Surface Transportation Program (STP)
HSIP funds (23USC§148) may be used for planning, development and operation of a system for managing highway safety and for data improvements as they relate to the State Highway Safety Improvement Program. However, funds specifically reserved for Railway-Highway Crossing (23USC§130) purposes may only be used as they directly relate to grade crossing safety activities. NHS, CMAQ, or STP funds may be used for safety data systems as they relate to the planning, development, and operation of a system for managing highway safety.

Metropolitan Planning [23USC§104(f)]
Funds may be used in conjunction with the requirement to carry out the 3-C transportation planning process that provides for consideration of projects and strategies that will increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users.

State Planning and Research Funds (23USC§505)
In addition to carrying out the statewide transportation process, these funds may be used to develop and maintain safety-related data systems needed to conduct studies of the safety of the surface transportation system, as well as to develop and maintain a system for managing highway safety.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Managed Programs

Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) (49USC§31104)
States are authorized and encouraged to use a portion of their MCSAP funds for data collection and analysis as well as improvements to existing systems. A portion of MCSAP funds are available for High Priority Projects (Section 4107) that can include commercial motor vehicle safety data improvement initiatives. Periodically, reallocated funding becomes available, and it also may be spent on data improvements.

Motor Carrier Information Systems (49USC§31106) and Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act [49USC§225(f)]
establishes a permanent funding source for information and analysis improvements. Funds may be used for grants, cooperative agreements or contracts and can include funding for improvements to electronic vehicle-based information systems, expanded data analysis capacity and programs, PRISM implementation, and improvements to driver programs.

Crash Data Improvement (CDI)
Discretionary funds intended to support efforts in states to improve the collection and analysis of commercial motor vehicle crash data and maintain a high level of quality data reported to FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) crash file.

Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) Modernization Grants (Section 4123)
States or organizations representing States must apply directly to FMCSA for these discretionary grant funds. Funding is awarded to modernize CDLIS at the central site and in each State to be compatible with the comprehensive national plan developed by FMCSA to modernize CDLIS.

Safety Data Improvement Program (SaDIP) (Section 4128)
Discretionary grants to States for activities to improve the accuracy, timeliness and completeness of safety data including, but not limited to, large truck and bus crash data, roadside inspection, data enforcement data, driver citation data, and registration data. Funds can be used to purchase equipment, train law enforcement officers in collecting crash data, hire temporary staff to manage data quality improvement programs, revise outdated crash report forms, and code and enter crash data.

Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Grant Program (Section 4124)
States must apply directly to FMCSA for grant funds. Funding is awarded to States that demonstrate the greatest impact on the effectiveness of the CDL program in improving highway safety and reducing commercial motor vehicle related crashes through a performance-base approach.

Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) (Section 4126)
Discretionary grants to States to advance the technological capabilities and promote deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for commercial vehicle operations, including commercial vehicle, commercial driver, and carrier specific information systems and networks.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Managed Programs

Highway Safety Programs (23USC§402)
Provides for coordinated national highway safety grant programs carried out by the States and local communities. Database improvements are eligible for funding.

Occupant Protection Incentive Grants (23USC§405)
Data improvements relevant to occupant protection only.

Safety Belt Performance Grants (23USC§406)
This incentive program encourages States to enact and enforce laws requiring the use of safety belts in passenger motor vehicles. A State may use these grant funds for any safety purpose under Title 23 or for any project that corrects or improves a hazardous roadway location or feature or proactively addresses highway safety problems. However, at least $1 million of amounts received by States must be obligated for behavioral highway safety activities.

Alcohol-Impaired Driving Countermeasures (23USC§410)
Data improvements relevant to alcohol programs only.

State Traffic Safety Information System Improvement Grants (23USC§408)
Encourages States to adopt and implement effective programs to improve the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, uniformity, integration, and accessibility of State data that is needed to identify priorities for national, State, and local highway and traffic safety programs; to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to make such improvements; to link these State data systems, including traffic records, with other data systems within the State; and to improve the compatibility of the State data system with national data systems and data systems of other States to enhance the ability to observe and analyze national trends in crash occurrences, rates, outcomes, and circumstances. A State may use these grant funds only to implement such data improvement programs.

Highway Sanctions/Penalty Transfer Programs
If a State did not enact and enforce appropriate laws within the time period specified in TEA-21, certain Federal Aid highway construction funds could be transferred into the Section 402 program for use in alcohol countermeasure programs or into Section 148, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Funds specified for alcohol countermeasures may be used for data improvements relevant to alcohol programs only. If a state transfers funds into the HSIP, funds can be used for highway safety data activities.

• Minimum Penalties for Repeat Offenders for DWI or DUI (23USC§164)
• Open Container Requirements (23USC§54)