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Grant Application Process

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.

Grant Areas

Agencies can apply for funding in the following areas:

Alcohol and Impaired Driving Education & Enforcement

These program area grants aim to prevent motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Grant funds may be used by local, county and state law enforcement agencies to remove these drivers from the road through highly visible enforcement operations and public education programs that focus on high-risk groups. Grant funds will be allocated for overtime enforcement conducted by officers trained and certified in Standard Field Sobriety Testing (required) and Drug Recognition Expert (recommended). Grant funds may also be allocated to purchase supplies and equipment for use in conducting DUI-related enforcement. Equipment costing over $5,000 is considered a capital expense and must be approved by the THSO and NHTSA.

This program area also funds educational projects aimed at underage drinking prevention and outreach to diverse communities and minority populations. These include Comprehensive Alcohol Risk reDuction (CARD) enforcement projects that combine Cops in Shops and Party Patrol programs; culturally sensitive, faith-based and community-driven initiatives; and peer-to-peer programs. 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

These program area grants may be used by local and county law enforcement agencies to conduct pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement operations to make roads safer.  Funding also may be used for outreach and education programs conducted in schools and community-based settings to increase safety awareness and help all roadway users understand their responsibilities.

Child Passenger Safety & Occupant Protection

These program area grants fund projects 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 community-based settings and bi-lingual educational materials; and for seat check events and fitting stations, technician training and distribution of child safety seats to low income families..

Distracted Driving

These program area grants may be used to educate the public about Tennessee’s hands free law and the danger of other distracted driving activities (eating, drinking, grooming, reading, using a cell phone or other electronic device) while driving. School and community-based programs, signage, and enforcement activities are eligible for funding.

DUI Prosecution

These program area grants fund DUI Prosecutor Activity and DUI Coordinators, who ensure the timely and accurate disposition of DUI cases in their respective district, and the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP) program.  The latter perform legal research; provide information and consultation on impaired driving issues and policies to law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, defense attorneys, legislators, and the public; and deliver education and training through an annual statewide impaired driving conference and other venues.

Emergency Medical Services

These program area grants fund training to ensure that first responders have the skills necessary to meet the needs of crash victims, with an emphasis on enhancing patient survival rate during the first 60 minutes following a traumatic injury. Grants are provided to EMS agencies serving rural counties and that rank in the top 65 Tennessee counties for overall crashes.

High Visibility Enforcement

These program area grants are awarded to law enforcement agencies to conduct HVE on a quarterly basis in support of state and national traffic safety campaigns addressing impaired driving and occupant protection.  Grant funds must be used to provide active enforcement manpower (for saturation patrols, checkpoints, waves or multi-jurisdictional/network enforcement activities.  A portion of the grant may also be used to purchase behavioral safety-related supplies (e.g., reflective vests, cones) and small equipment (e.g., computers, camera systems). Equipment costing over $5,000 is considered a capital expense and must be approved by the THSO and NHTSA. 

Motorcycle Safety

These program area grants fund motorcycle safety enforcement and motorcyclist safety awareness projects, including outreach and education projects to increase car and truck driver’s awareness of motorcycles and safely sharing the road are also funded.

Older Driver Safety

These program area grants are used to increase older driver safety awareness and training. Older drivers represent almost one in every five drivers with their growth outpacing their teenage 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 (Multiple Violations)

These program area grants may be used by law enforcement agencies to conduct sustained and highly visible traffic enforcement addressing impaired driving, distracted driving, occupant protection, older drivers, teen driving, bicycle and pedestrian, motorcycle safety, and speeding (including work zones).  Grant funding will be allocated for enforcement on an overtime basis conducted by officers trained and certified in Standard Field Sobriety Testing, Drug Recognition Expert (suggested), and Radar/LIDAR.  Grant funds may also be allocated to purchase supplies and equipment for use in addressing behavioral safety-related problems. Equipment costing over $5,000 is considered a capital expense and must be approved by the THSO and NHTSA.

Safe Communities

These program area grants fund traffic safety education and outreach materials used by law enforcement, program providers, traffic safety professionals, advocates, and individuals 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 at local traffic safety programs, sobriety checkpoints, child safety seat checks, and at school and business-sponsored events.  It also provides for the maintenance of a comprehensive website used to collect and disseminate traffic safety information and educational materials.

Teen Driver Safety

These program area grants are used to increase teen driver safety awareness and promote good decision making through education and outreach conducted by traffic safety professionals, law enforcement and court personnel, victim advocates, and teen peer leaders through an organized peer-to-peer program. Funding may be used for traffic safety education events and activities, training-related equipment, and public information and educational materials.

Traffic Records

These program area grants are 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:

  1. 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.
    1. View THSO Grantee Crash Performance Measures Dashboard by clicking this link.
  2. Comparative crash statistics from other similar jurisdictions that indicate your particular crash problem is above average.
  3. 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.

Contact: Kevin Hager

Operations Administrator
615-415-5574
kevin.hager@tn.gov