FMCSA Announces High Priority Grants to Increase Safety for Commercial Drivers

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced $80,714,223 in grant awards under the High Priority (HP) Grant Program. The HP Grants provide funding to strengthen commercial motor vehicle safety initiatives under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). Furthermore, the grant program invests in innovative technology, supports research, and funds other projects that positively impact Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) safety.

 

The HP Grant Program provides financial assistance to supplement motor carrier safety activities and projects, including those that:

• improve the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials;
• improve safe transportation of goods and persons in foreign commerce; 
• demonstrate new technologies to improve CMV safety; 
• technology advancements to enhance CMV operator awareness of roadway hazards and truck parking availability;
• support participation in performance and registration information systems management;
• conduct safety data improvement projects;
• increase public awareness and education on CMV safety;
• target unsafe driving of CMVs in areas identified as high-risk crash corridors, including roadway work zones;
• otherwise improve CMV safety and compliance with CMV safety regulations.

HP grant funds are awarded to States, local governments, Federally recognized Native American tribes, political jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible groups to carry out high priority activities and projects that strengthen commercial motor vehicle safety. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

 

High Priority activities also support the efforts outlined in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that makes historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. In addition, the CMV safety and research investments conducted under the HP program and funded through BIL advance the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a comprehensive approach to improve safety on our nation’s roadways. 

This is one of many actions that the Administration and DOT are taking to support truck drivers – including investing in community colleges to train veterans to get CDLs, investing in improvements to CDL processing, standing up the Women of Trucking Advisory Board, studying the impacts of driver detention time, and starting the truck predatory leasing task force.

 

All HP applications undergo a series of reviews before award selection. See the FMCSA’s grant program page for additional information on the discretionary application announcement, review and approval process. For a full list of FY 2022 HP grant awards, click here.

Original source can be found here.