SHSO Programs & Funding

State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) administer a variety of grant programs that are authorized and funded through federal legislation.

Highway Safety Programs

The Highway Safety Act of 1966 authorized the first federal highway safety program–the State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program (or Section 402). Since then, Congress has revised national highway safety grant programs many times through reauthorizing legislation, creating new incentive grants, penalties and sanctions.

MAP-21 Behavioral Highway Safety Programs

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) is the surface transportation bill that authorizes the federal surface transportation programs – including highway safety programs – for Federal Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014. (The federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.)

Section 402
State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program
Section 154
Open Container Transfer Provision
Section 164
Repeat Offender Transfer Provision

Section 405
National Priority Safety Program
Includes sub-sections for:
- impaired driving
- occupant protection
- traffic records
- motorcyclist safety
- distracted driving
- graduated driver licencing

SAFETEA-LU Behavioral Highway Safety Programs

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) authorized highway safety programs for Federal Fiscal Years 2006 - 2009. It operated under special extentions until it was replaced by MAP-21 in 2012.

Section 402
State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program
Section 405
Occupant Protection Incentive Grants
Section 406
Safety Belt Performance Grants
Section 408
State Traffic Safety Information System Improvement Grants
Section 410
Alcohol-Impaired Driving Countermeasure Incentive Grants

Section 154
Open Container Transfer Provision
Section 164
Repeat Offender Transfer Provision
Section 1906
Racial Profiling Prohibition Grants
Section 2010
Motorcyclist Safety Grants
Section 2011
Child Safety and Child Booster Seat Incentive Grants

Highway Safety Funding

State highway safety programs are funded through federal appropriations. State laws can impact the amount and type of funding that states receive for different programs.

The charts linked below summarize the amount of highway safety funding allocated to the states and territories from FY 2006 through FY 2013. Amounts are broken down by program.