402/405 Highway Safety Programs
NAWHSL, INC.
About: The State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program, commonly referred to as Section 402, was initially authorized by the Highway Safety Act of 1966 and has been reauthorized and amended a number of times since then, most recently under the FAST Act with some changes from MAP-21.
The program is jointly administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the federal level and by the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO) at the state level. Purpose: The Section 402 program provides grants to states to improve driver behavior and reduce deaths and injuries from motor vehicle-related crashes.
Requirements: Under the FAST Act, states are required to have a highway safety program that is approved by the Secretary. Funds can be spent in accordance with national guidelines for programs to:
The program is jointly administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the federal level and by the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO) at the state level. Purpose: The Section 402 program provides grants to states to improve driver behavior and reduce deaths and injuries from motor vehicle-related crashes.
Requirements: Under the FAST Act, states are required to have a highway safety program that is approved by the Secretary. Funds can be spent in accordance with national guidelines for programs to:
- Reduce drug- and alcohol-impaired driving
- Reduce speeding
- Encourage the use of occupant protection
- Improve motorcycle safety
- Improve pedestrian and bicycle safety
- Reduce school bus deaths and injuries
- Reduce crashes from unsafe driving behavior
- Improve enforcement of traffic safety laws
- Improve driver performance
- Improve traffic records
- Enhance emergency services
- Increase awareness of commercial motor vehicles
- Support school-based driver’s education classes
- In addition, states may (but are not required to) spend 402 funds on teen driver programs. If they do choose to fund these programs, they must fund only strategies authorized under 23 USC 402(m). No 402 funds can be spent on the implementation of automated enforcement programs.