On June 3, 2024 the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced $479 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant awards aimed at preventing crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving commercial motor vehicles. The grant awards funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “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 program’s funding amounts are determined by a formula and awarded annually to the lead agency of each state or territory upon completion of an FMCSA-approved Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan. The MCSA grant is the federal government’s mechanism for paying for more than 12,000 state and local law enforcement officers to perform truck and bus safety inspections and enforcement across the country. The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program supports safety inspections of large trucks and buses, investigations of motor carriers in response to safety concerns, and audits of new truck carriers and bus companies to reinforce responsible operation and ensure the safe movement of goods and passengers. The funding also promotes outreach and education efforts that help combat human trafficking, distracted driving, and other roadway safety concerns. The program’s funding amounts are determined by a formula and awarded annually to the lead agency of each state or territory upon completion of an FMCSA-approved Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan.
FMCSA Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless stated “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.”