Ohio Traffic Safety Office Awards Over $24 Million in Grants to Promote Safety and Reduce Crashes

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) has awarded over $24 million for statewide programming to improve traffic safety and reduce traffic-related fatalities. 

A total of 189 grants were awarded with 159 grants going toward 145 different local agencies in 63 counties, and 30 grants going toward statewide initiatives. All grants support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas, including impaired driving, seat belt usage, speeding, distracted driving, youthful driving, and motorcycle safety. The traffic safety grant funds were directed to OTSO from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“These grants will support the ongoing efforts in Ohio to save lives and reduce injuries on our roads,” said Governor DeWine. “From raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving to increasing enforcement to take impaired drivers off the streets, these programs will contribute to making the roads safer for everyone.”

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a grant of just over $34,500 for impaired driving and selective traffic enforcement.

Programs that will be funded with traffic safety grants include:

• Statewide Programming ($13,638,530.00) – 30 grants were awarded to 18 agencies (including four state agencies) to conduct education, enforcement, and awareness initiatives statewide to address traffic safety-related priority areas.
• Impaired Driving Enforcement and Selective Traffic Enforcement Program ($5,589,225.86) – 91 grants were awarded to 54 sheriff’s offices and 37 police departments for overtime hours used to reduce traffic-related fatal crashes that involve impaired driving via alcohol or drugs, seat belt usage, speed, aggressive driving, motorcycles, and failure to yield.
• Summer Holiday Enforcement Program ($270,961.66) – 14 grants were awarded to local police departments for summer overtime hours used to reduce traffic-related fatal crashes that involve impaired driving via alcohol or drugs, seat belt usage, speed, aggressive driving, motorcycles, and failure to yield.
• Dedicated Traffic Enforcement Program ($159,002.59) – 2 grants were awarded to one sheriff’s office and one police department for a pilot program to help fund a dedicated traffic enforcement officer to reduce traffic-related fatal crashes that involve impaired driving via alcohol or drugs, seat belt usage, speed, aggressive driving, motorcycles, and failure to yield.  This pilot program is primarily intended to help fund the salary of the dedicated officer in a step-down manner (100% first year, 50% second year, 25% third year) as the agency absorbs the cost.
• Countywide OVI Task Forces ($2,408,786.10) – 10 grants were awarded to agencies to conduct countywide high visibility enforcement, public awareness, and impaired driving initiatives.
• Safe Community programs ($2,294,787.57) – 42 countywide grants were awarded to communities to address traffic safety issues that involve impaired driving via alcohol or drugs, seat belt usage, distracted driving, youthful driving, and motorcycles. Ohio’s Safe Communities network uses local coalitions to deliver traffic safety messages and programs throughout the year at the local level.

The FFY 2025 competitive grant process solicited grant proposals from state agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, hospitals, political subdivisions, and other interested groups within selected Ohio counties and jurisdictions based upon the number of fatal crashes.

“Ohio is on track to see a decline in fatal crashes this year, but we have much more work to do,” said Emily Davidson, OTSO director. “In recent years, Ohio has seen encouraging improvements in some safety areas, such as an increase in seat belt use and a decrease in distracted driving. These grant funds will allow us to keep making progress.”

For a complete list of agencies receiving grants and the amounts, please visit FFY 2025 | Ohio Traffic Safety Office

Governor DeWine is a strong supporter of traffic safety initiatives, including the Highway Safety Improvement Program which dedicates about $183 million a year for engineering improvements at locations with a history of fatal or injury crashes. Earlier this year, the Governor awarded over $4 million in grants under a new program to increase the number of teen driver training programs and nearly $2.5 million in funding for scholarships for teenagers from low-income families to enroll in driver training through the “Drive to Succeed” program.