Grant Opportunities
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 Application Period Is Now Closed
Grants from the Highway Safety Office operate on a federal fiscal year basis (October - September).
Awards for FFY 2026 (October 2025-September 2026) have already been made.
🔔 Contact a program manager for information about applying for grants for FFY 2027. The application period is expected to open in February 2026.
Grant Applications
Explore grant opportunities, traffic safety problem ID statements, and access the GEARS electronic grants system to apply for funding or manage existing grants.
Impaired driving
This priority area primarily uses high-visibility media campaigns and enforcement mobilizations to reduce the incidence of impaired driving for all drivers and prevent underage alcohol consumption. The media program leverages earned and paid media opportunities to reach target demographics with meaningful messages to promote behavior change. The enforcement program provides funding for law enforcement agencies to conduct high-visibility impaired driving enforcement, such as DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols. Other efforts include statewide community activities aimed at strengthening the message at the local level. New and creative project ideas that can affect real behavioral change are encouraged.
🚨 Attention Law Enforcement Agencies:
If your law enforcement agency desires to participate in DUI checkpoints or any other high-visibility enforcement activity sponsored by the UHSO, please contact the UHSO’s Impaired Driving Program Manager at (801) 965-4400 before proceeding with a GEARS application. In most cases, a GEARS application is not required.
Community traffic safety programs
The Community Traffic Safety Program grants typically address a combination of program areas and focus on a local area, such as a city, county, or possibly a region. They concentrate on raising public awareness through education, enhancement of public access to traffic safety information, and enforcement of traffic laws, usually through a coalition of safety-oriented agencies.
Pedestrian & Bicycle safety
Bicycling and walking are critical components of our transportation system, and keeping cyclists and pedestrians safe is a priority. This program seeks to reduce bicycle and pedestrian injuries and fatalities by encouraging safe bicycling and walking behaviors and increasing driver awareness. Public information and education efforts, including but not limited to: Road Respect Cars and Bikes Safety campaign, Heads Up Pedestrian Safety campaign, bicycle rodeos, Green Ribbon Month, Walk Your Child to School Day, and crosswalk enforcement, are promoted through this program. New and creative project ideas that can affect a real behavior change are encouraged.
Motorcycle Safety
The number of registered motorcycles in Utah has almost doubled from 43,271 in 2005 to 84,822 in 2021. Less than 3% of Utah’s registered vehicles are motorcycles, yet motorcyclists accounted for 19% of deaths. In fact, motorcycle crashes were 11 times more likely to result in a death than other crashes. Sadly, 53 people lost their lives in a motorcycle-related crash, and 1,304 people were injured during 2024.
The Highway Safety Office is using various strategies and countermeasures identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as effective to improve motorcycle safety. The most important objectives for improving motorcycle safety are to increase helmet use, reduce alcohol-impaired motorcycle riding, increase proper licensing, and promote lifelong learning through the completion of riding training courses. Another objective is to increase other drivers’ awareness of motorcycles by increasing motorcyclists’ visibility and by educating other drivers of the importance of sharing the road with motorcycles.
Occupant protection
One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. The Occupant Protection Program uses high-visibility media campaigns and enforcement mobilizations to reach target demographics with meaningful messages on the proper and consistent use of safety restraints. Local activities are also supported through community projects aimed at protecting Utah’s youngest motor vehicle passengers by funding car seat fitting and inspection stations. Program support is provided through partnerships with local health departments, law enforcement, schools, hospitals, the Utah Department of Transportation, among others, to conduct educational campaigns, community outreach, and other efforts focused on proper seat belt use. New and creative project ideas, supported by crash data and a strong problem identification that promote positive behavioral change, are encouraged.
🚨 Attention Law Enforcement Agencies:
If your law enforcement agency desires to participate in Click It Or Ticket Mobilizations sponsored by the UHSO, please contact the UHSO’s Occupant Protection Program Manager at (801) 965-4400 before proceeding with a GEARS application. In most cases, a GEARS application is not required.
Police traffic services
The Police Traffic Services Program provides traffic enforcement equipment and training to law enforcement agencies statewide that have identified a traffic safety problem. Common equipment purchased includes speed monitoring trailers, mobile messaging trailers, and Lidar/Radar guns.
🚨 Attention Law Enforcement Agencies:
If your law enforcement agency desires to submit a request for equipment or training, even if not listed above, please contact the UHSO’s Police Traffic Services Program Manager (801) 965-4400 before proceeding with a GEARS application. In most cases, a GEARS application is not required.
Traffic records
The Traffic Records Program identifies deficiencies in state and local traffic record information systems through the Utah Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (UTRCC). Proposals and requests for improvement are prioritized, and goals are set, using the UTRCC’s Strategic Plan as a guide. Specific projects are selected to address the identified needs and goals.
Drowsy driving
Drowsy driving has similar effects on drivers as someone impaired by alcohol or drugs. Driving while tired decreases awareness, slows reaction time, and impairs judgment, putting the driver and others around them in danger. Because of the similarities in driver behavior, the drowsy driving project was placed under the Impaired Driving Program. This program focuses on reducing the rate of crashes involving drowsy driving. New and creative project ideas that can effect a real behavioral change are encouraged.
Teen driving
Teen drivers are overrepresented in Utah crashes. To combat the growing concern over teen crashes, more than a dozen organizations across Utah have combined efforts to increase awareness and outreach through the use of driver education curriculum, local media stories, and grassroots outreach in high schools across the state. Tactics include websites, interactive presentations, resource guides, educational material, posters, displays, and other behavior modification tools that best resonate with the teen audience. New and creative project ideas that can affect real behavior change are encouraged.
Distracted driving
This program focuses on reducing the number of crashes with distracted driving as a contributing factor. This program includes support and resources for local law enforcement agencies in capacities, such as campaigns, events, enforcement activities and educational opportunities to raise awareness for the dangers of distracted driving. New and creative project ideas that can affect a real behavioral change are encouraged.
For more information
Contact your program manager or Patty Trujillo at 801-965-4400 or [email protected]