The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is planning to issue more than $800 million in traffic safety grants for fiscal year 2026 to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which represents Native American tribal communities across the country.
[Above photo by WSDOT]
NHTSA said it plans to allocate that funding to states and others via two programs: $409 million in Section 402 Highway Safety Program funds and $382 million in Section 405 National Priority Safety Program funds.
The agency said states, territories, and tribal communities use that grant funding to support critical highway safety programs and address their unique safety challenges. The funds can be used in many ways, including high-visibility enforcement mobilizations that address risky driving behaviors like speeding, impairment, and distraction, NHTSA noted.
That funding also helps support data collection to improve real-time trend identification and analysis, train experts to inspect and install car seats, strengthen the judicial system’s understanding and prosecution of impaired driving, and help enforce move-over laws to protect first responders, law enforcement personnel, and individuals stopped alongside roads.
“NHTSA’s grant funding makes our roads safer by empowering states, territories and tribal communities to address the critical issues and trends they see on their local roads,” noted Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA administrator, in a statement.
“Our strong support for law enforcement ensures that officers will continue to identify and stop dangerous drivers before they can hurt others on the road,” he added. “State highway safety offices will put these dollars to use to save lives, and we will continue to support and facilitate their critical work.”
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