Delaware to Receive $230,000 in Federal Funds to Make Local Roadways Safer

WILMINGTON, DE (April 23, 2004) — Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper and Congressman Mike Castle announced today that Delaware will receive $228,521 in federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The money will be used to help fund drunk-driving programs and to increase the use of safety belts and child restraints. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that safety belts and child restraints save lives. NHTSA estimates that more than 14,000 lives are saved by safety belts each year, and another 300 lives per year are saved by child restraints. Alcohol-related fatalities totaled 17,419 in 2002, representing an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 30 minutes. The money will be used for highway safety programs, enforcing safety-belt and child-passenger safety laws, and child-safety-seat inspection stations. The funds can also be used to enforce impaired-driving laws, conduct public-information campaigns, and provide training to law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and judges. “These federal funds will go a long way toward making our highways safer,” said the Delaware Delegation. “We hope that the residents of Delaware will take advantage of the programs that will be funded by this grant. Keeping our highways safe is everyone’s responsibility.”