Section 405(E) distracted driving awareness grant (23 C.F.R. § 1300.24; 23 U.S.C. § 405(E)) €• grant to support certain costs of state distracted driving programs consistent with 23 C.F.R. §…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded Rhode Island Department of Transportation $199,481.34 on October 1, 2025, under the Section 405(e) Distracted Driving Awareness Grant program (CFDA 20.616, National Priority Safety Programs).

The funding supports Rhode Island's state distracted driving program, including costs aligned with countermeasure strategies to reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Rhode Island qualifies for this funding by maintaining enacted and enforced laws that prohibit texting while driving or youth cell phone use while driving. The award funds projects identified in Rhode Island's approved triennial highway safety plan and annual grant application, which detail problem identification, public participation, performance measures, and countermeasure strategies.

Rhode Island Department of Transportation, a division of the State of Rhode Island, is the recipient. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029. Work is performed in Providence, Rhode Island.

The National Priority Safety Programs formula grant is designed to encourage states to address congressional highway safety priorities including occupant protection, traffic safety information system improvements, impaired driving countermeasures, distracted driving, motorcyclist safety, nonmotorized safety, preventing roadside deaths, and driver and officer safety education. States submit applications annually by August 1, and NHTSA reviews applications and approves grant awards based on eligibility criteria specific to each program category. Federal reimbursement occurs through voucher claims submitted for incurred costs.

Section 405(E) distracted driving awareness grant (23 C.F.R. § 1300.24; 23 U.S.C. § 405(E)) €• grant to support certain costs of state distracted driving programs consistent with 23 C.F.R. § 1300.24(F). 405(E) funding is available to qualifying states that enact and enforce a law that prohibits texting while driving or prohibits youth cell phone use while driving. These funds are provided to the state and territorial highway safety offices based on an approved triennial highway safety plan that details problem identification, public participation and engagement, performance measures, countermeasure strategies for programming funds and an approved annual grant application that details planned projects using identified countermeasure strategies for programming funds to help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes.