RIDOT is working with community-based organizations to develop seat belt public education campaigns. The Department is making $1 million available over a four-year period for programs that increase seat belt usage, including proper usage of child seats.

The funds are made available by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and came with the passage of a primary seat belt law in 2011. Also with passage of the primary seat belt law, RIDOT pledged to commit funds for seat belt education in communities with a high population of low income, minorities and non-English speaking persons. These communities include Central Falls, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, West Warwick and Woonsocket.

To kickoff the second round of grant awards, RIDOT hosted a pre-proposal meeting and public workshop meeting in January 2013. Attendance to at least one of these meetings was required for organizations seeking grant funding.

Anyone with questions about the grant program can contact Elvys Ruiz at 401-222-3024, ext. 4441 or sending email to elvys.ruiz@dot.ri.gov.

Grant Program Toolbox

• Read the press release announcing this grant program
• Download an HS-1 application form
• Seat Belt Fact Sheet

Previous Grant Awards

Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and RIDOT announced the first round of grants on September 13, 2012. The recipients included:

• Providence Community Library - Through a multi-faceted approach, this organization will use a variety of programming ideas to share the seat belt safety message, including: a bookmark design contest, a comic book writing class, a hip hop and poetry class, child passenger safety trainings, Black storyteller events, and several other activities.
• Woonsocket's Connecting for Children and Families - This agency will target Woonsocket, North Smithfield, Lincoln, Cumberland, Glocester and Foster with critical safety information through 120 KEYS (Keeping Every Youth Safe) presentations. These presentations focus on safe driving and the importance of seat belt use.
• The Socio-Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians - The group plans to create and disseminate a culturally appropriate informational toolkit in the four main languages spoken in the Southeast Asian communities (Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong and Vietnamese) and conduct trainings based upon these toolkits. Focusing on the two cities with the highest concentration of Southeast Asian residents, Providence and Woonsocket, they will also share their seat belt safety message at major cultural events, like the Southeast Asians New Year events that range from Spring through Fall.