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Monday,
August 18, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd, (202)
366-9550
NHTSA 38-03
NHTSA
Announces $7.5 Million in Grants To 48 States For Education on Child Passenger
Safety
U.S.
Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced 55 National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants totaling nearly $7.5 million to 48
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the four U.S. territories, and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The
funds will help implement child passenger protection programs.
"President
Bush and I are committed to safety as the top transportation priority. We have
seen great progress in protecting our country's youngest children, whose safety
this grant program addresses," Secretary Mineta said.
"These grants will help further educate parents about the importance
of use and the correct installation of child passenger restraints - both crucial
to a child's safety should there be a crash."
In
2002, fatalities for children ages 3 and younger declined by 5 percent and
fatalities for children ages 4-7 declined by 12 percent from 2001.
According to NHTSA, despite this progress, too many children are
improperly restrained.
"About
four out of five children who are placed in child safety seats are improperly
restrained. Furthermore, adult
safety belts do not adequately protect children ages 4 to 8 from injury in a
crash. Although booster seats are
the best way to protect them, the vast majority of children in this age group do
not ride in them," NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., said.
"These grants will help states help parents transport their children
safely."
The
grants announced today are authorized under a framework created by Section
2003(b) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).
With these grants states may fund activities such as child safety seat
checkpoints at safety events and during enforcement efforts; permanent fitting
inspection stations; loaner programs; education and information outreach to
rural, low-income and minority communities; education and training activities
targeted to Native American tribes; education and training activities to reach
children with special needs; educational outreach to elementary and secondary
schools; promotion of child passenger training; and training and education for
judges to promote enforcement.
The
following list shows the amount provided to each state and other recipients.
Child
Passenger Protection Education Grant Program
FY 2003 Grant Award Amounts
Alabama:
$128,400
Alaska:
$37,709
American
Samoa: $18,855
Arizona:
$123,371
Arkansas:
$96,366
California:
$724,320
Colorado:
$121,749
Connecticut:
$74,639
Delaware:
$37,709
District
of Columbia: $37,709
Florida:
$359,211
Georgia:
$209,667
Guam:
$18,855
Hawaii:
$37,709
Idaho:
$45,980
Illinois:
$300,730
Indian
Nations: $56,564
Indiana:
$159,339
Iowa:
$108,107
Kansas:
$113,395
Kentucky:
$113,376
Louisiana:
$113,302
Maine:
$37,709
Mariana
Islands: $18,855
Maryland:
$115,215
Massachusetts:
$137,500
Michigan:
$245,700
Minnesota:
$154,814
Mississippi:
$88,288
Missouri:
$164,401
Montana:
$49,212
Nebraska:
$75,381
Nevada:
$56,169
New
Hampshire: $37,709
New
Jersey: $177,281
New
Mexico: $62,281
New
York: $414,217
North
Carolina: $200,595
North
Dakota: $52,132
Ohio:
$270,754
Oklahoma:
$117,771
Oregon:
$96,018
Pennsylvania:
$289,726
Puerto
Rico: $79,573
Rhode
Island: $37,709
South
Carolina: $107,392
South
Dakota: -
Tennessee:
$149,137
Texas:
$536,376
Utah:
$62,156
Vermont:
$37,709
Virgin
Islands: $18,855
Virginia:
$167,748
Washington:
$150,001
West
Virginia: $51,470
Wisconsin:
$154,334
Wyoming:
-
Total: $7,451,250
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