OHS GRANT INFORMATION
OHS Grant Application Process, Forms, and Procedures Manual
The Office of Highway Safety promotes public safety by distributing federal funds to various agencies and organizations for a variety of state and local highway projects and new initiatives.
Our grant year runs October 1 through September 30 each year. The planning for each federal fiscal year begins in January when the Grant Advisory Committee meets to discuss crash data from the previous year and to review traffic safety priorities for each GAC member. The GAC consists of our highway safety partners from NHTSA, FHWA, DelDOT, Delaware State Police, and a local law enforcement representative.
Between February and March, the OHS staff reviews various traffic safety data sources to determine the priority areas for the coming fiscal year. Once the areas are selected, the grant application package is distributed to our various highway safety partners. The only exception is for law enforcement—police departments within the state are not required to submit grant applications as OHS staff conducts the necessary problem identification to select the police agencies to participate in highway safety activities in the coming year.
Applications are typically due in late April. In early May, the GAC again meets to review and rate the applications received. The GAC is also tasked with approving the draft highway safety plan that is presented to the committee members. The draft Highway Safety Plan (HSP) outlines the law enforcement agencies that, with the non-law enforcement agencies selected, will comprise the HSP that is submitted to NHTSA in August for approval.
Following a pre-award meeting in September and subsequent to approval from OHS, all subgrantees begin their grants on October 1.
Who Can Apply?
Any state or private agency, local politician subdivision, and county or municipal government that can show that an identified highway safety problem exists within their jurisdiction, may apply for federal funding. The problem must fall within one of the top six priority areas (Impaired Driving, Occupant Protection, Aggressive Driving, Traffic Records, Pedestrian Safety or Motorcycle Safety), or in an area where there is documented evidence of a highway safety problem.
Copies of the OHS Grant Application can be obtained from the office by contacting us at (302) 744-2740. You may also click on the forms below to obtain an electronic version.
| MS Word | Adobe PDF | |
| Grant Application | Grant Application | |
| Grant Application Instructions | Grant Application Instructions | |
| Procedures Manual | Procedures Manual | |
| Here are the links to both readers if you do not have Word or Adobe. | ||
| MS Word Reader | Adobe Reader | |
Priority Areas
Summary of Delaware's FY 2009 Highway Safety Goals
Overall Goal – To sustain a fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled of 1.26* in 2009.
1. Occupant Protection – To increase seat belt use from 87% in 2007 to 88% in 2009. In order to achieve an 88% seat belt use rate, Delaware must convert 8% of its current non-seat belt users into seat belt users.
2. Impaired Driving – To reduce alcohol-related fatalities from 45% in 2007 to 40% in 2009 and to reduce the alcohol fatality rate per hundred million vehicle miles traveled from .55 in 2007 to .50 in 2009.
3. Aggressive Driving – To reduce fatal crashes resulting from aggressive driving behaviors from 62% in 2007 to 55% in 2009.
4. Traffic Records – Short-term performance goals:
• Coordinate the planning and development of the Section 408 application and TRCC Strategic Plan with the TRCC.
• Support efforts of the Traffic Records Coordinating Committee TRCC to implement projects as outlined in the TRCC Strategic Plan.
• Support efforts by the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Justice Information System to re-tool the current automated crash reporting project and incorporate into the LEISS suite of enforcement reporting tools.
• Complete the testing phase for CHAMPS and utilize the system for problem identification needs within the office.
Long-range performance goal: Continue to support TRCC partners’ efforts to upgrade existing traffic records systems and efforts to implement additional resources to further aid in accurate, timely, and complete data analysis.
5. Pedestrian Safety – To reduce pedestrian fatalities from 14% in 2007 to 10% in 2009.
6. Motorcycle Safety – To reduce motorcycle fatalities from 14% in 2007 to 9% in 2009.
Primary Activities
++Problem Identification:
Includes identification of actual and potential traffic safety hazards and effective
countermeasures.
++Administration:
Includes preparation of Annual Highway Safety Plan and the distribution of federal funds to
state, local and private agencies.
++Monitoring & Evaluation:
Includes monitoring and evaluation of approved highway safety projects and monitoring of
legislative initiatives that impact highway safety.
++Public Information & Education:
Includes development and coordination of numerous public awareness activities with particular
emphasis on identified priority areas.
Population Served Table & Chart
| Delaware Specific: | |||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| Population | 805,774 | 817,831 | 830,082 | 843,540 | 854,977 |
| Licensed Drivers | 577,581 | 591,713 | 604,124 | 614,417 | 620,433 |
| Registered Vehicles | 755,272 | 778,016 | 803,942 | 824,357 | 841,620 |
| Motor Vehicle Miles Driven ( in millions ) | 8,837 | 9,013 | 9,172 | 9,448 | 9,676 |
| Drivers Licensed by Age | |||||
| 16-24 year olds | 80,504 | 82,282 | 83,631 | 84,415 | 85,038 |
| 25-54 year olds | 333,095 | 336,738 | 340,495 | 344,255 | 344,851 |
| 55 and over | 163,977 | 172,693 | 179,998 | 185,747 | 190,544 |
Mouseover the graph above to see larger and clear!
