More Than $800M Approved In The New NHTSA Safety Grants for States

NHTSA Safety Grants: $800 Million Approved for States to Improve Road Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has approved more than $800 million in NHTSA safety grants for fiscal year 2026. These funds will help states, territories, and tribal governments improve highway safety programs, enforce traffic laws, and collect better crash data. The goal is to reduce roadway deaths and support programs that make highways safer for all drivers.

Overview of the NHTSA Safety Grants

The NHTSA safety grants are divided into two main programs.

• The Section 402 Highway Safety Program receives $409 million.
• The Section 405 National Priority Safety Program gets $382 million.

These programs fund local safety projects. States can use the money to strengthen traffic enforcement, train law enforcement officers, improve crash reporting, and support seat belt and child restraint education.

How States Will Use the NHTSA Safety Grants

The NHTSA safety grants will allow states to expand several key safety efforts.
Funds can be used to:

• Enforce impaired and distracted driving laws.
• Improve real-time crash data collection.
• Support prosecution and training for traffic safety cases.
• Enforce “move-over” laws that protect roadside workers.

Each state applied for funding earlier this year. NHTSA has now approved the allocations. States will receive the funds once Congress finalizes the federal budget for the fiscal year starting October 1, 2025.

State Allocations from the NHTSA Safety Grants

Funding amounts vary by location.
For example:

• Texas is set to receive $56.6 million.
• Alabama will get $11.7 million.
• American Samoa will receive $1.1 million.

Each state and territory has a detailed breakdown in NHTSA’s official announcement. These amounts reflect both the Section 402 and 405 program funding.

Impact of Safety Grants on the Trucking Industry

The NHTSA safety grants can also affect truck drivers and freight operations across the country.
With more resources, states may:

• Increase traffic patrols and roadside inspections.
• Expand enforcement campaigns such as “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
• Improve work zone safety and enforcement of move-over laws.
• Collect better data on crashes involving commercial vehicles.

These efforts can lead to safer highways for both truckers and passenger drivers.

Next Steps for the NHTSA Safety Grants

Although the NHTSA grants have been approved, states will only receive funds after Congress completes the appropriation process. Once the funds are released, states will begin implementing new programs and campaigns during the 2026 fiscal year.

NHTSA will monitor how states use these grants to ensure progress toward reducing traffic deaths. Data collected from these efforts will guide future safety programs and funding decisions.

Why the NHTSA Safety Grants Matter

Roadway deaths remain a major concern across the United States. These NHTSA safety grants give states the tools and funding needed to target risky driving behaviors, improve safety education, and build stronger enforcement programs. With continued federal support, states can focus on saving lives and making travel safer for everyone.