The Tennessee Highway Safety Office provides grants to programs which are designed to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and related economic losses resulting from traffic crashes on Tennessee’s roadways. Local governments, law enforcement agencies, academic institutions, and private non-profits can apply for National Highway Safety Transportation Administration pass-through funding for projects related to various areas of highway safety. Eligible project areas are included in the State of Tennessee’s Highway Safety Performance Plan.
THSO Grant Descriptions
Agencies can apply for funding in the following areas:
Impaired Driving Enforcement
This program grant provides funding to prevent motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs. Grant funds may be used by law enforcement agencies to remove impaired drivers from the road through highly visible and proactive traffic enforcement, with visibility elements and publicity that educates the public about the dangers of unsafe driving behaviors. The increased enforcement addressing those behaviors promotes voluntary compliance with the law.
Impaired Driving Education
This program grant provides funding for educational programs aimed at preventing high-risk groups from driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs. Examples include: A Comprehensive Alcohol Risk ReDuction (CARD) program that combines Cops in Shops and Party Patrol projects aimed at preventing underage drinking, peer-to-peer mentoring, and similar community-based programs to increase awareness of the Zero Tolerance Law.
High Visibility Enforcement
This grant provides funding to law enforcement agencies to conduct High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) in support of state and national traffic safety campaigns addressing impaired driving. The maximum amount of funding for this grant is $10,000.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
This program grant provides funding for pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement operations and educational events to make roads safer. Funding may be used for outreach and education programs conducted in schools and other community-based settings to increase safety awareness and help all roadway users understand their responsibilities.
Child Passenger Safety & Occupant Protection
This program grant funds projects designed to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries by increasing the use of seat belts and child safety seats. Funding may be used for seat belt education programs conducted in schools and other community-based settings. Examples include seatbelt and child safety seat check events, fitting stations, technician training, distribution of child safety seats, and bi-lingual educational materials to underserved communities.
Community Traffic Safety Programs
This program grant funds traffic safety education and outreach materials to encourage the public to make good choices whether they are driving or riding in a motor vehicle, bicycling, or walking. These materials are distributed during local traffic safety programs, sobriety checkpoints, child safety seat checks, and at school and business-sponsored events. This grant program also provides funding for the maintenance of a comprehensive website used to collect and disseminate traffic safety information and educational materials.
Distracted Driving
This program grant is used to educate the public about Tennessee’s Hands Free Law and the dangers of other distracted driving activities (eating, drinking, grooming, reading, using a mobile phone, or other electronic device) while driving. Law enforcement agencies, schools, and other community-based organizations are eligible for funding.
DUI Prosecution
This program grant funds DUI prosecutor activity and DUI coordinators who ensure the timely and accurate disposition of DUI cases in their respective district. The Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP) program supports DUI coordinators who perform legal research; provide information and consultation on impaired driving issues and policies to law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, legislators, and the public, and deliver education and training through an annual statewide impaired driving conference and other events.
Emergency Medical Services
This program grants funds for effective first responder training and/or extrication training to treat crash victims within the “Golden Hour.” Funds may be used for training costs and equipment needs. This grant can make the difference in the prevention of fatalities on Tennessee roadways by increasing motor vehicle crash survivability and injury outcomes by advancing the availability, timeliness, and quality of treatment. Grants are provided to EMS agencies serving rural counties and that rank in the top Tennessee counties for overall crashes.
Motorcycle Safety
This program grant is used by law enforcement agencies and community-based programs to support motorcycle safety enforcement and education. Outreach projects focus on increasing awareness and understanding of safe driving skills for motorcyclists and drivers of other vehicle types while sharing Tennessee roadways.
Older Driver Safety
This program grant is used by law enforcement agencies and community-based agencies to increase older driver safety awareness and training. Older drivers represent almost one in every five drivers with their growth outpacing their teenaged counterparts. Funding may be used for research, education, and outreach related to increasing safety awareness for this vulnerable population. This includes Car-Fit events and training for technicians and event coordinators.
Police Traffic Services (PT): Multiple Violations
This program grant is used by law enforcement agencies to conduct sustained, highly visible, and proactive traffic enforcement addressing impaired driving, distracted driving, occupant protection, older drivers, teen drivers, bicycle and pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety, and speeding (including in work zones).
Teen Driver Safety
This program grant is used to fund programs to increase teen driver safety awareness and promote good decision-making through education and outreach conducted by traffic safety professionals, law enforcement, court personnel, victim advocates, and teen peer leaders through an organized peer-to-peer program. Funding may also be used for traffic safety education events and activities, training-related equipment, and public information and educational materials.
Traffic Records
This program grant is used to implement effective projects that improve the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, uniformity, integration, and accessibility of the data that is used by state and local agencies and their partners to identify and address traffic safety issues in Tennessee. Awards are limited to data improvement projects implemented by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and other state government agencies.
If you serve a county that has a greater than average rate of crash problems based on the 2019-2023 ranking, you may qualify for a grant.
View funding opportunities at THSOGrants.org. If your project plan involves the goal of reducing some category of motor vehicle crashes in your jurisdiction, you MUST provide the following:
- Three years of baseline statistics from your jurisdiction that are relevant to the category of crash you intend to reduce; for example, impaired-related crashes.
- Comparative crash statistics from other similar jurisdictions that indicate your particular crash problem is above average.
- In the case of counter-DUI proposals that involve enforcement, baseline statistics on the numbers of proactive (i.e., not crash-related) DUI arrests and their associated (non-reduced) DUI conviction rates.
Grant applications begin March 1st and close on March 31st. Consult Tennessee’s Highway Safety Performance Plan (PDF) for more information on the goals and mission of the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.
