The National Safety Council (NSC) is presently accepting applications for a series of road safety grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to be distributed over the next three years. Specifically, grant applications for the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety grants are now open to all Road to Zero Coalition members and anyone who wants to join the coalition, which they can do immediately and for free.

The NSC recently received the funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), marking the fourth year NHTSA has supported NSC’s grant program. To date, the program has successfully awarded over 25 grants for diverse projects that support the Road to Zero Coalition’s goal of eliminating roadway fatalities by 2050.

Historically, the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety grants are used for initiatives, programs, and research that help achieve the mission of zero traffic deaths. 

This year, the grants will support the Road to Zero Coalition’s newly released commitments to equity. These commitments are the latest steps by the coalition to learn more and work toward building a more equitable mobility future for all road users. In other words, improved equity leads to improved safety for all road users.

For example, the NSC will be looking for programs that acknowledge and address existing disparities and inequities within roadway safety to reduce roadway fatalities and create accessibility for all. It will also find noteworthy those programs that identify gaps that exist within transportation planning, policies and their implementation, as well as roadway safety data and reporting. And, initiatives that encourage reversal of the disproportionate impact of traffic fatalities and limited transportation access on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), low-income communities, older adults, and people with disabilities.

An estimated 21,000 people died in motor vehicle collisions in the first six months of 2021, representing a more than 18% increase compared to the same period last year.