Annually, federal funds are made available to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety through the US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in order to promote traffic safety on our highways. Our goals are to reduce motor vehicle crashes, fatalities and injuries, increase the use of occupant protection devices, and to reduce impaired driving.

In general requests for a Highway Safety Project must be received no later than April 3 for the next fiscal year. The federal fiscal year begins October 1. Additional grants programs may be opened during other time periods as required.

Following is a synopsis of local highway safety programs eligible for federal funds:

1.       Integrated Mini-Grant Enforcement Program (IMAGE) is designed to obtain motorist compliance with occupant protection, impaired driving, and speed laws through law enforcement agencies conducting increased enforcement and education activities during specific time periods. Click here for additional information about IMaGE grants.
 

2.       Local Alcohol Program (LAP) is designed to produce a significant impact on a local community’s impaired driving problem. Project activities may include local task force formation, DUI enforcement, public information and education, prosecution and adjudication.  For FFY 2009 this grant includes a requirement for SFST trained officers.  Click here for additional information about LAP grants
 

3.       Traffic Law Enforcement Program, Phase II (TLEP-II) is designed to address traffic safety problems which might be effectively resolved by education and increased traffic enforcement by local police. Phase II involves the enforcement of identified high-crash areas and the contributing traffic violations. An additional component is participation in national and state mobilizations.  For FFY 2009 this grant includes a requirement for SFST trained officers.  Participation in this program is limited to a maximum of 3 years.  Click here for additional information about TLEP grants.
 

4.       Mini-Grant Alcohol Enforcement Program (MAP) is designed to reduce fatal and alcohol related traffic crashes through increased DUI enforcement and education activities during seven designated time periods and an additional one, selected by the applicant.  For FFY 2009 this grant includes a requirement for SFST trained officers.  Click here for additional information about MAP grants.
 

5.       Speed Enforcement Program (SEP) is designed to reduced speed related traffic crashes through increased enforcement and educational activities. Click here for additional information about Speed Enforcement Program grants.
 

6.       Holiday Mobilization Plus Program (HM+) grants are designed to increase occupant protection usage and to reduce DUI through hire back enforcement. This program provides for participation in special enforcement campaigns such as “Click It or Ticket” and “You Drink & Drive. You Lose”.  The Holiday Mobilization Plus Program replaces the old Roadside Safety Check (RSC), Occupant Protection Zone (OPEZ) and Holiday Mobilization Grants.  These grant programs are no longer available.   The alcohol component of this grant program requires SFST trained officers for FFY 2009.   Click here for additional information about Holiday Mobilization Plus grants.
 

7.       Electronic Submittal of Crash Reports Program is designed to assist local law enforcement agencies in developing a system for timely submittal of crash reports. Grants are available for purchase of in car printers for agencies who adopt or expand the use of the Mobile Crash Reporting system (MCR-P) Click here for additional information about MCR-P grants. This is an open application grant and there is currently no deadline for application.

 Grants are available for data conversion if an alternative software system is used (MCR-XML). Click here for additional information about MCR-XML grants. This is an open application grant and there is currently no deadline for application.
 

8.       Regional Occupant Protection Resource Centers are established to increase use and correct use of occupant protection safety devices. Centers provide information, training and on-going safety seat checks. Contact the Division of Traffic Safety if you would like additional information about this program.
 

9.       Child Passenger Safety Program (CPS) is designed to reduce the death and injury rate of infants and young children by providing safety seats to local agencies for distribution to parents, grandparents and/or guardians. Click here for additional information about Child Passenger Safety Program grants.
 

10.    Boost Illinois – Child Passenger Safety Program (BI-CPS) is designed to reduce the death an injury rate of children by providing booster seats to local agencies for distribution to parents, grandparents and/or guardians. Click here for additional information about the Boost Illinois Child Passenger Safety Program grants.
 

11.    Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program (PBS) is designed to aid public agencies in funding cost-effective projects that improve pedestrian and bicycle safety through education and enforcement. Click here for additional information about Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program grants.
 

12.    Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program (MSA) is designed to enlist local agencies and organizations to improve motorcycle safety and motorist awareness through various types of activities. Click here for additional information about the Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program grants.
 

13.    Injury Prevention Program is designed to reduce fatalities and injuries sustained in traffic crashes through educational programs. Staff provides educational presentations, coordinate public information campaigns and work with the media to raise public awareness of safe driving laws, use of occupant protection devices, designated drivers and other methods of increasing roadway safety. Click here for additional information about Injury Prevention grants.
 

14.  Commercial Motor Vehicle Speed Enforcement Program (CMV-SEP) is designed to reduced speed related traffic crashes involving Commercial Motor Vehicles through increased enforcement and educational activities. Grants start May 16, 2008 through September 30, 2008. Click here for additional information about Commercial Motor Vehicle Speed Enforcement Program grants.

Deadline for application for this program is May 1, 2008.

     The CMV-SEP program is funded through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These grants are limited to police agencies located in the following areas: Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry and Will Counties in Northeastern Illinois, Madison, St. Clair and Monroe Counties in the Metro East Area and the counties of Winnebago, Champaign, Sangamon, McLean, Peoria and Tazewell.

The Highway Safety Program operates on a cost reimbursement basis. Local agencies/organizations that are approved for funding are required to pay for project expenses initially, and are then reimbursed for approved, documented expenditures.

If your agency is interested in applying for a grant which is highway safety related, but not described above, you may send us a letter describing a project you would like to implement to: