NSC Unveils 2025 Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grant Recipients
On May 7, 2025, the National Safety Council (NSC) made a significant announcement regarding its
2025 Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants. Funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these grants are aimed at supporting innovative programs designed to eliminate preventable traffic-related fatalities.
The grants are awarded annually and are intended for programs, projects, and research focused on making substantial progress towards achieving zero fatalities on our roadways. In 2024 alone, traffic crashes resulted in an estimated
39,345 deaths—a reduction of approximately
3.8% compared to the
40,901 fatalities reported in 2023. This marks a notable achievement, as it’s the first time fatalities have dropped below
40,000 since 2020. Nonetheless, the figures still highlight a grave public health crisis that continues to affect communities across the nation.
Mark Chung, Executive Vice President of Safety Leadership and Advocacy at NSC, emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing this pressing issue by stating, "We must work together to tackle this persistent public health crisis. These grants empower local initiatives that are essential in creating safer roads for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and passengers alike. With NHTSA's support, NSC is proud to champion organizations that are making a deep and lasting positive impact in communities nationwide."
Key Projects Among the Recipients
Among the distinguished awardees for 2025 are several innovative projects, each with unique approaches to enhancing roadway safety:
1.
Mobridge Regional Hospital Clinics: Focused on
Enhancing GIS Mapping Tools to Reduce Post-Crash Response Times in Rural South Dakota.
2.
Wayne State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Working on
Bridging the Urban-Suburban Safety Gap—A Data-Driven Approach to Pedestrian Safety on Overlooked Suburban-Type Arterials in Detroit.
3.
University of Texas at San Antonio: Developing
A Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (Geo-AI) Tool for Proactive Crash Prevention.
4.
Colorado Whole Blood Coalition: Implementing the
West Metro Fire Rescue Prehospital Whole Blood Program.
5.
Regents of the University of Michigan: Exploring
Vehicle Technologies to Address Pedestrian Injuries with a Focus on SUVs and Pickup Trucks.
6.
Johns Hopkins University: Enhancing
Safety and Injury Prevention in Highly Automated Vehicles Through Digital Twin Technology and AI-Driven Design.
These projects were selected from a highly competitive pool of over
170 applicants, making the 2025 grants the most sought-after since the program’s inception in
2017. The funding process occurs through the Road to Zero Coalition, which is the
largest traffic safety coalition in the nation and is managed by the NSC in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
An Ongoing Commitment to Road Safety
The Road to Zero initiative is dedicated to preventing roadway deaths through key strategies, which include doubling down on effective, evidence-based methods, advancing new technologies, and promoting a culture of safety via a Safe System Approach. The USDOT's NHTSA has recently renewed funding for this paramount initiative through
September 2026.
With continuing efforts to enhance roadway safety, applications for the following year's grants will open in
fall 2025. For more details on grants, past recipients, eligibility, and applications, visit
nsc.org/RTZgrants. To learn more about the Road to Zero initiative or to become a member free of charge, navigate to
nsc.org/roadtozero.
About the National Safety Council
Founded over
110 years ago, the National Safety Council stands as America’s premier nonprofit advocate for safety. With a mission-driven focus, the NSC strives to eliminate the foremost causes of preventable death and injury, both in workplaces and on the roads. By fostering a culture of safety, the Council aims to ensure that individuals remain safe not just at work, but across all facets of life, allowing them to realize their fullest potential.