Governor Kay Ivey touts $7 million in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants

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Motorists heading north from Mobile, Ala., towards Montgomery reach the point where Interstate 65 becomes one way in all lanes, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, near Stockton, Ala. Joe Cavaretta / AP Photo

Governor Kay Ivey announced nearly $7 million in grants, in order to make Alabama roads safer. The state’s four regional traffic safety offices and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will use the funds to cover overtime for local police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and state troopers conducting extra patrols.

It will also help provide more checkpoints during peak travel times, like major holidays, targeting speeding, seat belt violations, and impaired driving. Funding will cover major enforcement details like “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

According to Drive Safe Alabama, in 2019, there were 930 people killed in 851 fatal crashes. In Alabama, a traffic crash is reported every 3 minutes and 18 seconds.

Ivey stated in a press release, “In Alabama, we are funding our law enforcement community to ensure their efforts to protect our communities are supported. These grants will go a long way in reinforcing highway safety across our state. As we head into another peak travel time, that will be even more important. Ensuring public safety is one of the primary responsibilities of government and is a top priority for the Ivey Administration.”

ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell applauded the funding and efforts to make Alabama roads safer.

“ADECA stands with Governor Ivey, the four highway safety offices, and local law enforcement agencies who are helping make Alabama’s roads safer for everyone traveling in our state,” Boswell stated.

Governor Ivey awarded the following grants:

  • $1.39 million to the Franklin County Commission for the North Central Alabama Highway Safety Office. The office serves Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Marion, Morgan, Pickens, Walker and Winston counties.
  • $1.66 million to the city of Opelika for the East Central Alabama Highway Safety Office which serves Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties.
  • $1.21 million for the Southeast Alabama Regional Highway Safety Office at Enterprise State Community College. The office serves Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pike, Russell and Tuscaloosa counties.
  • $957,369 to the Mobile County Commission for the Southwest Regional Highway Safety Office which serves Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.
  • $1.54 million to ALEA cover overtime for state troopers who are working extra shifts during periods and in locations that have high numbers of speeding and impaired driving violations.
  • $183,106 to the Office of Prosecution Services to provide local prosecutors and local law enforcement with a veteran statewide prosecutor that will provide training, education, legal research and technical assistance on traffic safety related issues.