FMCSA grants $480M to scrutinize carriers in push for zero traffic deaths

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced a new grant program intended to increase and improve inspections of motor carriers this week in order to achieve zero traffic deaths.

The $480 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant awards was announced on Monday, June 3rd and is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which aims to prevent crashes involving commercial vehicles. The program boasts an ultimate goal of zero traffic deaths, and the grants will be awarded to all 50 states. The District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will also be awarded grants.

“Across the entire country, we are making our roadways safer and strengthening our national supply chains with resources made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The funding we’re announcing today will help our local safety partners invest in initiatives that will continue this important work and make our roadways safer.”

The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program will increase and improve safety inspections for commercial vehicles, including buses, promote the investigation of motor carriers that present safety concerns, and facilitate audits of new carriers, including bus companies, in order to ensure safety and responsible operation. The program also includes education efforts surrounding distracted driving and human trafficking. 

“Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant funding is an important tool for reducing crashes and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles,” said FMCSA Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless. “The number of fatalities on our nation’s roadways involving commercial motor vehicles decreased by an estimated eight percent from 2022 to 2023. We know the needle is moving in the right direction, but until we reach zero roadway deaths, there will always be more work to do. These grants help fund that work.”

Grant amounts will be determined using a formula and will be awarded annually to the top agency in each state that has completed the FMCSA’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan.