(a) Purpose. This section establishes criteria, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 405(f), for awarding grants to States that adopt and implement effective programs to reduce the number of single-vehicle and multiple-vehicle crashes involving motorcyclists.
(b) Definitions. As used in this section—
Data State means a State that does not have a statute or regulation requiring that all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs are to be used for motorcycle training and safety programs but can show through data and/or documentation from official records that all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs were, in fact, used for motorcycle training and safety programs without diversion.
Impaired means alcohol-impaired or drug-impaired as defined by State law, provided that the State's legal alcohol-impairment level does not exceed .08 BAC.
Law State means a State that has a statute or regulation requiring that all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs are to be used for motorcycle training and safety programs and no statute or regulation diverting any of those fees.
Motorcycle means a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.
State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
(c) Eligibility. The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for a Motorcyclist Safety Grant.
(d) Qualification criteria. To qualify for a Motorcyclist Safety Grant in a fiscal year, a State shall submit as part of its annual grant application documentation demonstrating compliance with at least two of the criteria in paragraphs (e) through (k) of this section.
(e) Motorcycle rider training course. A State shall have an effective motorcycle rider training course that is offered throughout the State and that provides a formal program of instruction in crash avoidance and other safety-oriented operational skills to motorcyclists. To demonstrate compliance with this criterion, the State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part—
(1) A certification identifying the head of the designated State authority over motorcyclist safety issues and stating that the head of the designated State authority over motorcyclist safety issues has approved and the State has adopted one of the following introductory rider curricula:
(i) Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course;
(ii) TEAM OREGON Basic Rider Training;
(iii) Idaho STAR Basic I;
(iv) California Motorcyclist Safety Program Motorcyclist Training Course;
(v) A curriculum that has been approved by the designated State authority and NHTSA as meeting NHTSA's Model National Standards for Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training; and
(2) A list of the counties or political subdivisions in the State where motorcycle rider training courses will be conducted during the fiscal year of the grant and the number of registered motorcycles in each such county or political subdivision according to official State motor vehicle records, provided that the State must offer at least one motorcycle rider training course in counties or political subdivisions that collectively account for a majority of the State's registered motorcycles.
(f) Motorcyclist awareness program. A State shall have an effective statewide program to enhance motorist awareness of the presence of motorcyclists on or near roadways and safe driving practices that avoid injuries to motorcyclists. To demonstrate compliance with this criterion, the State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part—
(1) A certification identifying the head of the designated State authority over motorcyclist safety issues and stating that the State's motorcyclist awareness program was developed by or in coordination with the designated State authority over motorcyclist safety issues; and
(2) One or more performance measures and corresponding performance targets developed for motorcycle awareness at the level of detail required under § 1300.11(b)(3) that identifies, using State crash data, the counties or political subdivisions within the State with the highest number of motorcycle crashes involving a motorcycle and another motor vehicle. Such data shall be from the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but must be data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date (e.g., for a grant application submitted on August 1, 2023, a State shall provide calendar year 2022 data, if available, and may not provide data older than calendar year 2020); and
(3) Projects, at the level of detail required under § 1300.12(b)(2), demonstrating that the State will implement data-driven programs in a majority of counties or political subdivisions where the incidence of crashes involving a motorcycle and another motor vehicle is highest. The State shall submit a list of counties or political subdivisions in the State ranked in order of the highest to lowest number of crashes involving a motorcycle and another motor vehicle per county or political subdivision. Such data shall be from the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data must be no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date (e.g., for a grant application submitted on August 1, 2023, a State shall provide calendar year 2022 data, if available, and may not provide data older than calendar year 2020). The State shall select projects implementing those countermeasure strategies to address the State's motorcycle safety problem areas in order to meet the performance targets identified in paragraph (f)(2) of this section.
(g) Helmet law. A State shall have a law requiring the use of a helmet for each motorcycle rider under the age of 18. To demonstrate compliance with this criterion, the State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part, the legal citation(s) to the statute(s) requiring the use of a helmet for each motorcycle rider under the age of 18, with no exceptions.
(h) Reduction of fatalities and crashes involving motorcycles. A State shall demonstrate a reduction for the preceding calendar year in the number of motorcyclist fatalities and in the rate of motor vehicle crashes involving motorcycles in the State (expressed as a function of 10,000 registered motorcycle registrations), as computed by NHTSA. To demonstrate compliance a State shall, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part—
(1) Submit State data and a description of the State's methods for collecting and analyzing the data, showing the total number of motor vehicle crashes involving motorcycles in the State for the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date and the same type of data for the calendar year immediately prior to that calendar year (e.g., for a grant application submitted on August 1, 2023, the State shall submit calendar year 2022 data and 2021 data, if both data are available, and may not provide data older than calendar year 2020 and 2019, to determine the rate);
(2) Experience a reduction of at least one in the number of motorcyclist fatalities for the most recent calendar year for which final FARS data are available as compared to the final FARS data for the calendar year immediately prior to that year; and
(3) Based on State crash data expressed as a function of 10,000 motorcycle registrations (using FHWA motorcycle registration data), experience at least a whole number reduction in the rate of crashes involving motorcycles for the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date, as compared to the calendar year immediately prior to that year.
(i) Impaired motorcyclist driving program. A State shall implement a statewide program to reduce impaired driving, including specific measures to reduce impaired motorcycle operation. The State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part—
(1) One or more performance measures and corresponding performance targets developed to reduce impaired motorcycle operation at the level of detail required under § 1300.11(b)(3). Each performance measure and performance target shall identify the impaired motorcycle operation problem area to be addressed. Problem identification must include an analysis of motorcycle crashes involving an impaired operator by county or political subdivision in the State; and
(2) Projects, at the level of detail required under § 1300.12(b)(2), demonstrating that the State will implement data-driven programs designed to reach motorcyclists in those jurisdictions where the incidence of motorcycle crashes involving an impaired operator is highest (i.e., the majority of counties or political subdivisions in the State with the highest numbers of motorcycle crashes involving an impaired operator) based upon State data. Such data shall be from the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date (e.g., for a grant application submitted on August 1, 2023, a State shall provide calendar year 2022 data, if available, and may not provide data older than calendar year 2020). Projects and the countermeasure strategies they support shall prioritize the State's impaired motorcycle problem areas to meet the performance targets identified in paragraph (h)(1) of this section.
(j) Reduction of fatalities and crashes involving impaired motorcyclists. A State shall demonstrate a reduction for the preceding calendar year in the number of fatalities and in the rate of reported crashes involving alcohol-impaired and drug-impaired motorcycle operators (expressed as a function of 10,000 motorcycle registrations), as computed by NHTSA. The State shall, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part—
(1) Submit State data and a description of the State's methods for collecting and analyzing the data, showing the total number of reported crashes involving alcohol- and drug-impaired motorcycle operators in the State for the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date and the same type of data for the calendar year immediately prior to that year (e.g., for a grant application submitted on August 1, 2023, the State shall submit calendar year 2022 data and 2021 data, if both data are available, and may not provide data older than calendar year 2020 and 2019, to determine the rate);
(2) Experience a reduction of at least one in the number of fatalities involving alcohol-impaired and drug-impaired motorcycle operators for the most recent calendar year for which final FARS data are available as compared to the final FARS data for the calendar year immediately prior to that year; and
(3) Based on State crash data expressed as a function of 10,000 motorcycle registrations (using FHWA motorcycle registration data), experience at least a whole number reduction in the rate of reported crashes involving alcohol- and drug-impaired motorcycle operators for the most recent calendar year for which final State crash data are available, but data no older than three calendar years prior to the application due date, as compared to the calendar year immediately prior to that year.
(k) Use of fees collected from motorcyclists for motorcycle programs. A State shall have a process under which all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs are used for motorcycle training and safety programs. A State may qualify under this criterion as either a Law State or a Data State.
(1) To demonstrate compliance as a Law State, the State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part, the legal citation(s) to the statute(s) or regulation(s) requiring that all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs are to be used for motorcycle training and safety programs and the legal citation(s) to the State's current fiscal year appropriation (or preceding fiscal year appropriation, if the State has not enacted a law at the time of the State's application) appropriating all such fees to motorcycle training and safety programs.
(2) To demonstrate compliance as a Data State, the State shall submit, in accordance with part 7 of appendix B to this part, data or documentation from official records from the previous State fiscal year showing that all fees collected by the State from motorcyclists for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs were, in fact, used for motorcycle training and safety programs. Such data or documentation shall show that revenues collected for the purposes of funding motorcycle training and safety programs were placed into a distinct account and expended only for motorcycle training and safety programs.
(l) Award amounts. The amount of a grant awarded to a State in a fiscal year under this section shall be in proportion to the amount each State received under Section 402 for fiscal year 2009, except that a grant awarded under 23 U.S.C. 405(f) may not exceed 25 percent of the amount apportioned to the State for fiscal year 2009 under Section 402.
(m) Use of grant funds—(1) Eligible uses. Except as provided in paragraph (m)(2) of this section, a State may use grant funds awarded under 23 U.S.C. 405(f) only for motorcyclist safety training and motorcyclist awareness programs, including—
(i) Improvements to motorcyclist safety training curricula;
(ii) Improvements in program delivery of motorcycle training to both urban and rural areas, including—
(A) Procurement or repair of practice motorcycles;
(B) Instructional materials;
(C) Mobile training units; and
(D) Leasing or purchasing facilities for closed-course motorcycle skill training;
(iii) Measures designed to increase the recruitment or retention of motorcyclist safety training instructors; or
(iv) Public awareness, public service announcements, and other outreach programs to enhance driver awareness of motorcyclists, including “Share-the-Road” safety messages developed using Share-the-Road model language available on NHTSA's website at http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.
(2) Special rule—low fatality States. Notwithstanding paragraph (m)(1) of this section, a State may elect to use up to 50 percent of grant funds awarded under 23 U.S.C. 405(f) for any eligible project or activity under Section 402 if the State is in the lowest 25 percent of all States for motorcycle deaths per 10,000 motorcycle registrations (using FHWA motorcycle registration data) based on the most recent calendar year for which final FARS data are available, as determined by NHTSA.
(3) Suballocation of funds. A State that receives a grant under this section may suballocate funds from the grant to a nonprofit organization incorporated in that State to carry out grant activities under this section.