Traffic safety grants available for Idaho communities

Have an idea that could improve traffic safety in your community? The Idaho Office of Highway Safety’s (OHS) FY2025 grant application opens today. Funding is available for programs that aim to change unsafe behaviors like distracted and impaired driving to help reduce death and serious injury on Idaho roads.

243* lives have already been lost this year, far exceeding the 215 traffic-related deaths in all of 2022. Idaho is on track to exceed our worst year in recent history, which was 273 lives lost in 2021. 2021 was the worst year for traffic fatalities since 2005.

“Locals know their communities best,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “We want this grant money to go to community organizations that will impact traffic safety in their neighborhoods most.”

Funding comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal grant program. Grants may be awarded for assisting OHS in targeting traffic safety focus areas, expanding ongoing activities, or developing a new program or intervention. Traffic safety focus areas include:

  • Impaired Driving
  • Aggressive Driving
  • Distracted Driving
  • Seatbelts
  • Child Passenger Safety
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
  • Motorcycle Safety
  • Young Drivers
  • EMS Post Crash Care

To apply for FY2025 funding, complete the Office of Highway Safety Grant Application.

The application and instructions are available on our website at itd.idaho.gov/safety under the ‘Grant Programs & Funding’ tab. This application is for year-long funding for FY2025 which begins Oct 1, 2024 and ends Sep 30, 2025.

The application must be received no later than 5 p.m. MST, Wednesday, January 31, 2024, via email: ohsgrants@itd.idaho.gov or by mail: ITD Office of Highway Safety, P.O. Box 7129, Boise ID 83707-1129. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

*Preliminary data, subject to change