Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $4.9 million in grants in support of efforts to make Alabama roads safer by preventing injuries and fatalities.
The state’s four regional traffic safety offices will use the funds to cover overtime for local police officers and sheriffs’ deputies conducting extra patrols and checkpoints during peak travel times targeting speeding, seat belt violations and drunken driving. Some funds will cover extra patrols during the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign from Aug. 19 to Sept. 7 and “Click It or Ticket” from May 24 to June 6, 2021.
“Drivers who choose to drive impaired or disobey traffic laws are a danger to every other motorist on the road,” Ivey said. “These grants will support the police officers and sheriffs’ deputies who work long hours to enforce the law and provide a clear message to drive safely and responsibly in Alabama.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ADECA manages a wide array of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, workforce development, energy conservation, water resource management, economic development and recreation.
“ADECA is proud to work with Gov. Ivey, the four highway safety offices and local law enforcement agencies to help make Alabama’s roads safer for everyone traveling in our state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell.
Ivey awarded the following grants to the regional traffic safety offices:
- $1.36 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.
- $1.57 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.
- $1.01 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.
- $970,672 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.
