Governor Kay Ivey has awarded more than $6.6 million to strengthen traffic law enforcement and encourage safe driving across Alabama.
The grants to the state’s four regional traffic safety offices will fund overtime for law enforcement officers to target dangerous driving behaviors, including speeding and seat belt violations. The funding will also support public education campaigns about impaired driving and the importance of using child safety restraints.
“These grants provide our law enforcement officers with resources to enforce traffic laws, discourage dangerous driving behaviors and help people travel safely on Alabama’s roads,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants supporting efforts to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities.”
Law enforcement agencies in the four regions will be eligible for funding to increase enforcement in areas with traffic safety problems. The grants will target locations that data identify as hot spots for impaired driving and speeding. The funding will also cover extra shifts to increase patrols at certain times of the year, including around Labor Day and Memorial Day, in conjunction with the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket public education campaigns.
The Franklin County Commission received five grants totaling more than $1.8 million for the Community Traffic Safety Program’s North Central Region. The grants will serve Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Walker and Winston counties.
Central Alabama Community College received five grants totaling more than $1.7 million for the program’s East Central Region. The grants will serve Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore, Etowah, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Talladega counties.
Enterprise State Community College received five grants totaling about $1.58 million for the program’s Southeast Region. The grants will serve Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Clay, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Randolph, Russell and Tallapoosa counties.
The Mobile County Commission received five grants totaling about $1.53 million for the program’s Southwest Region. The grants will serve Baldwin, Bibb, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Pickens, Perry, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washington and Wilcox counties.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“These programs focus on enforcement and education and are part of a strategy to make roads safer throughout the state,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in support of these initiatives to enhance traffic safety.”
ADECA administers programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
