National Safety Council Receives Funding from NHTSA for Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants

ITASCA, Ill., Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council (NSC), America's leading nonprofit safety advocate, is proud to continue the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants through funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reach our goal of eliminating roadway fatalities by 2050. Funding provided by NHTSA will support an additional three years of grant opportunities for projects that promise to further the Coalition's lifesaving mission.

Roadway fatalities are on the rise, with preliminary NHTSA estimates showing over an 18% increase during the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period last year. This increase compounds the deadly trend that started in 2020 and negates more than 15 years of progress in preventing death on U.S. roads. The Road to Zero Coalition, the nation's largest traffic safety coalition, aims to reverse this trend by promoting strategies to end roadway deaths, including doubling down on what works, advancing life-saving technology in vehicles and infrastructure, and adopting a safe system approach.

"Unfortunately, we're losing ground as a nation when it comes to roadway safety, with a person more likely to lose their life on the road today than they were before the pandemic. Not only is this entirely unacceptable — it's preventable," said Lorraine Martin, NSC president, CEO and Chair of the Road to Zero Coalition. "The path to zero roadway deaths is through new thinking and partnerships, exemplified by the innovative Road to Zero grant work that NHTSA's support makes possible."

The Road to Zero Coalition Community Traffic Safety Grant Program aims to fund projects, programs and research that helps achieve the mission of zero traffic deaths. Over the past three years, the program has successfully awarded over 25 grants. Through this new funding from NHTSA, grants will be distributed over the next three years and will range from $50,000 to $250,000. Grant applications are now open to Road to Zero members (join here for free) and can be submitted here.

These grants will support the Road to Zero Coalition's newly released commitments to equity, developed through its Steering Group and Equity Task Force. These commitments are the latest steps by the Coalition to learn more and work towards building a more equitable mobility future for all road users. The statement on equity is a guiding framework to achieve improved roadway safety, including:

• Acknowledging and addressing existing disparities and inequities within roadway safety to reduce roadway fatalities and create accessibility for all.
• Identifying gaps that exist within transportation planning, policies, and their implementation, as well as roadway safety data and reporting.
• Committing to using the Coalition's leadership, voice, and programming to discuss and encourage the reversal of the disproportionate impact of traffic fatalities and limited transportation access on all, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), low-income communities, older adults, and people with disabilities.
• Expanding and recognizing the diversity of stakeholders and partners both within the Coalition and in other spaces where the Coalition and members have influence and participation.
• Examining current and past practices of the Coalition to improve equity and road safety.

To learn more about the Road to Zero Coalition, visit www.nsc.org/road/resources/road-to-zero/road-to-zero-home.

About the National Safety Council

The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

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About the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for keeping people safe on America's roadways. Through enforcing vehicle performance standards and partnerships with state and local governments, NHTSA reduces deaths, injuries and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes.

SOURCE National Safety Council

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