Alabama’s top sports rivals are working together with the state to make Alabama’s highways safer.
Governor Kay Ivey awarded Auburn University, the University of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Public Health a $3.3 million grant to compile data, develop media campaigns and conduct a safety campaign toward properly securing children in child safety seats.
The University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety was awarded $1.9 million to develop programs and compile data on crashes, seatbelt use and other statistical information that will help the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and other agencies pinpoint where crashes often occur, leading to more patrols and checkpoints in those areas.
Auburn University’s Media Production Group was awarded a total of $1.1 million for media campaigns to warn motorists of the dangers of driving while texting and/or impaired and not wearing seatbelts.
The Alabama Department of Public Health will use a $60,000 grant to maintain a database involving the types of injuries suffered by people involved in automobile crashes and their health statuses. The federally required information is added to a nationwide database. Additionally, a $200,000 grant will provide a three-day training course for child safety seat certification and will enable the department to conduct programs throughout the state to teach motorists the proper techniques for installing child safety seats and fastening children in the seats.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the state Traffic Safety Trust Fund.
