Safety Belt Performance Grants

Increase safety belt use by encouraging States to enact and enforce primary safety belt laws. A primary safety belt law permits law enforcement officers to stop and cite motorists for failing to wear safety belts without requiring that some other motor vehicle violation first be observed.

The 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the Virgin Islands are eligible to apply for a grant.

State Highway Safety Agencies.

States that apply as either New Primary Law States or Pre-2003 Primary Law States must submit a certification that their primary safety belt law is in effect and is being enforced, and must also provide a citation where a copy of the law may be obtained for review. States that apply as Safety Belt Performance States must submit the result of a statewide safety belt observational survey for each of the two calendar years preceding the fiscal year of the grant application, along with certifications that the surveys were conducted in conformance with NHTSA's Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use (23 CFR Part 1340).

A state may use 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.

Federal share is reimbursed on claims submitted in vouchers covering costs incurred. All participants have converted to the Electronic Transfer of Funds method. Funds placed in obligation are available until expended.

An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

A State is eligible for a grant if it did not have a conforming primary safety belt law for all passenger motor vehicles in effect on or before December 31, 2002, and either: Enacts for the first time after December 31, 2002, and has in effect and is enforcing a conforming primary safety belt law for all passenger motor vehicles (States meeting this criterion are called New Primary Law States); or, After December 31, 2005, has a State safety belt use rate of 85 percent or more for each of the 2 consecutive calendar years immediately preceding the fiscal year of the grant (States meeting this criterion are called Safety Belt Performance States). A State that meets either of the above two criteria will receive a one-time grant equal to 475 percent of the State's apportionment under Section 402 for fiscal year 2003. If a State does not meet either of the above two criteria, and if funds remain after grants have been awarded to all States that do meet either of the two criteria by July 1 each year, the State will qualify for a one-time grant equal to 200 percent of its apportionment under Section 402 for fiscal year 2003 if it has in effect and is enforcing a conforming primary safety belt law for all passenger motor vehicles that was in effect before January 1, 2003 (States in this category are called Pre-2003 Primary Law States). States that are applying as either New Primary Law States or Pre-2003 Primary Law States must submit the required certification and citation (see Credentials / Documentation above) by July 1 of the year of the grant application. States applying as Safety Belt Performance States must submit the survey result and related certification for each of the two consecutive calendar years preceding the year of the grant application by March 1 of the calendar year immediately following the year in which the survey was conducted.

Applications from States attempting to qualify as New Primary Law States or Pre-2003 Primary Law States will be reviewed to determine if the State is enforcing a primary safety belt use law that applies to all passenger motor vehicles. Applications from States attempting to qualify as Safety Belt Performance States will be reviewed to determine if the State' safety belt use rate was at or above 85 percent during each of the two consecutive calendar years immediately preceding the year of the grant application.

NHTSA will review the information contained in each State's application for compliance with Section 406 and notify qualifying States in writing of grant awards.