ILLINOIS HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM

By JOHN McCREE
Illinois Department of Transportation

Each year the State of Illinois receives an appropriation of federal funds to promote highway safety programs throughout the State. The Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety (DTS) is responsible for administering the Section 402 Highway Safety Program established by the National Highway Safety Act of 1966. All local governmental agencies are eligible to receive funds.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency responsible for Section 402 Highway Safety Funds, provides the State's guidance in areas where they (NHTSA) feel there is the greatest potential for reducing highway injuries and deaths. The areas identified as "Emphasis Areas" are: Alcohol Countermeasures, Police Traffic Services, Emergency Medical Services, Traffic Records, and Occupant Restraint. Described below are the 15 types of projects which DTS currently funds.

(1) Child Safety Seat Distribution/Leaner Program is designed to reduce the death and injury rate of infants and young children by providing infant and toddler seats to parents on a loan basis.

(2) Comprehensive Community Occupant Protection Program promotes seat belt usage throughout the community, including emphasis in schools and businesses in the area.

(3) Safety Belt Education Program provides funds to conduct a public information and education campaign through the demonstration of IDOT's Seat Belt Convincer and "Vince and Larry" program.

(4) Alcohol Awareness Seminars are an effort to generate local interest in a comprehensive approach to the alcohol/traffic safety program. Units of local government sponsor the regional alcohol awareness seminars. The seminars are attended by judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police officers, alcohol/drug assessment counselors, remedial education instructors and treatment professionals.

(5) Vehicular Homicide/Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Conference is sponsored annually by Northwestern University Traffic Institute and is designed to educate participants regarding the latest investigation, examination, and trial techniques. Criminal justice, forensic, and legal experts present material at the conference.

(6) Judicial Training provides for the attendance of Illinois Judges at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada.

(7) Comprehensive Alcohol Safety Program encompasses all of the interrelated countermeasures required to produce a significant impact on a local community's D.U.I, problem, including additional enforcement, public information, and education.

(8) Traffic Records Upgrade provides funds for local entities to upgrade their traffic records system and establish an accident file based on accident locations.

December 1987 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 9

(9) Emergency Medical Technician/Ambulance provides an opportunity for emergency services personnel to be trained and certified as Emergency Medical Technicians.

(10) Emergency Rescue Technician Training is a 60-hour program that trains emergency services personnel for certification as Emergency Rescue Technicians skilled in the safe and efficient extrication of victims of motor vehicle accidents.

(11) Hazardous Materials Seminars are specialized presentations which deal with the identification and proper methods of handling hazardous materials when responding to highway incidents involving hazardous materials.

(12) Traffic Law Enforcement Projects are designed to address traffic safety problems which might be effectively resolved by increased traffic enforcement.

(13) Rural Reference System provides a uniform reference system for rural roads from which traffic accidents can be located with an accuracy of one-tenth of a mile.

(14) Traffic Engineering Training provides funds to send local traffic engineers to traffic engineering courses.

(15) Traffic Sign Upgrade allows for an upgrade of warning and regulatory signs in the city or county to bring them into compliance with the Illinois Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

The Highway Safety Program operates on a cost-reimbursement basis. Local communities, who are approved for funding are required to pay for project expenses initially, and are then reimbursed for approved, documented expenditures.

If you are interested in any of these programs and desire further information, please call (217) 782-5853. Division of Traffic Safety Local Project Managers are available to discuss each of the above listed projects and to provide assistance with funding requests. •

Page 10 / Illinois Municipal Review / December 1987