| overview | | The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts critical behavioral and vehicle programs, and provides grants to the States for the administration of highway traffic safety programs. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people in the United States from age 3 – 6 and 8 – 34. In 2007, motor vehicle crashes claimed 41,059 lives and accounted for 99 percent of all transportation-related fatalities and injuries. The economic cost of motor vehicle crashes is estimated to be more than $230 billion annually. Emerging demographic trends include a continuing increase in the number of drivers, a significant growth in both older and teenage drivers, and a marked increase in motorcycle ridership and fatalities, particularly by older returning riders of large engine-size motorcycles. These trends pose increased traffic safety challenges that must be addressed. The FY 2010 budget includes $867 million for NHTSA to carry out its mission and support Departmental efforts towards the achievement of its strategic goals and performance targets in specific focus areas, including: passenger vehicle occupants, non-occupants (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), motorcycle riders, and large trucks and buses. |
| FY 2010 Budget | | FY 2010 Budget
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), was enacted on August 10, 2005 and expires on September 30, 2009. The Administration is developing a comprehensive approach for surface transportation reauthorization. Consequently, the Budget contains no policy recommendations for programs subject to reauthorization including NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety program. Instead, the Budget conservatively displays baseline funding levels for all surface transportation programs.
For FY 2010, the NHTSA budget includes $737.4 million from the Highway Trust Fund and $129.8 million from General Funds to support its programs, for a total FY 2010 budget of $867.2 million.
Vehicle Safety Research: The FY 2010 budget includes $129.8 million, an increase of $2.8 million above the FY 2009 enacted level, in General Funds for Vehicle Safety Research activities. Funds will be used to reduce highway fatalities, prevent injuries, and significantly reduce their associated economic toll for: research into promulgation and enforcement of Federal motor vehicle safety standards; research involving biomechanics, crash avoidance and mitigation technologies; and vehicle safety such as fuel efficiency and alternative fuels.
Highway Safety Research and Development Program: The FY 2010 budget includes $107.3 million, an increase of $1.8 million above the FY 2009 enacted level, in Highway Trust Funds for Highway Safety Research and Development activities to reduce highway fatalities, prevent injuries, and significantly reduce their associated economic toll. Funds will be used to conduct research into the development and evaluation of programs focused on behavioral issues, such as drivers licensing, alcohol and drug impaired driving, older driver safety, motorcycle safety, seat belt and child safety seat use, pupil transportation, pedestrian and bicycle safety, emergency medical services, other emerging traffic safety issues, and the operation and continued maintenance/improvement of the vehicle crash databases.
National Driver Register: A total of $4.1 million, an increase $0.1 million above the FY 2009 enacted level, in Highway Trust Funds is included in the budget for NHTSA’s National Driver Register (NDR) in FY 2010. The NDR provides an efficient and timely database in order to prevent problem drivers from obtaining licenses to operate private and commercial vehicles, either by submitting a new application or by moving to another state. The NDR is used for other transportation modes’ certification procedures.
Highway Traffic Safety Grants: NHTSA’s highway traffic safety grants help reduce motor vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries by supporting implementation of proven and innovative countermeasures aimed at a wide-range of factors contributing to crashes and injuries. The FY 2010 budget includes $626 million in Highway Trust Funds, an increase of $6.5 million over the FY 2009 enacted level, for the following:
- Alcohol impaired driving countermeasures incentive grants to encourage States to adopt incentive grants to states for the implementation of effective programs to reduce impaired driving and its tragic consequences.
- Traffic safety information system grants to improve the ability of highway safety practitioners at the State and local level to collect, analyze and evaluate data to make resource allocation decisions.
- Grants designed to help States increase occupant protection use rates. Occupant protection incentive grants are aimed at encouraging States to adopt and implement effective programs to reduce deaths and injuries from riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles.
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