THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL "402" HIGHWAY SAFETY PROJECTS

THE COUNTERMEASURES DATA FILE, ONE OF SEVERAL SPECIAL-PURPOSE FILES MAINTAINED BY THE HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, IS DESCRIBED AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION DERIVABLE FROM IT IS PRESENTED. TO ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE WITH THE 16 HIGHWAY SAFETY STANDARDS AUTHORIZED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A RESULT OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT OF 1966, FEDERAL FUNDS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE STATES ON A 50-50 MATCHING BASIS UNDER SECTION 402 OF THE SAFETY ACT. DATA, EFFECTIVE AS OF JULY 30, 1970, INDICATE THAT OVER FOUR THOUSAND STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE STATES' INTEREST IN IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNALLY DETERMINED NEEDS. THREE STANDARD AREAS, TRAFFIC RECORDS DRIVER EDUCATION, AND POLICE TRAFFIC SERVICES, ACCOUNTED FOR OVER HALF OF THE FUNDS AUTHORIZED AND THE PROJECTS CARRIED OUT.