Discretionary Cooperative Agreements To Support Seat Belt Enforcement in Major Metropolitan Areas

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Discretionary Cooperative Agreements To Support Seat Belt

Enforcement in Major Metropolitan Areas

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT

ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Cooperative Agreements in

conjunction with the Buckle Up America campaign to increase seat belt

enforcement in major metropolitan areas.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

announces a discretionary cooperative agreement program to solicit

support for the Buckle Up America (BUA) campaign. NHTSA solicits

applications from law enforcement agencies which have jurisdiction in

major metropolitan areas to participate in the BUA under this program.

NHTSA seeks the participation and support of these law enforcement

agencies to increase the use of seat belts and child safety seats, the

most effective safety devices for reducing injuries and fatalities in

traffic crashes.

DATES: Applications must be received at the office designated below on

or before August 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement

(NAD-30), ATTN.: Joseph Comella, 400 7th Street S.W., Room 5301,

Washington, D.C. 20590. All applications submitted must include a

reference to NHTSA Program No. NTS-01-9-05102.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General administrative questions may

be directed to Joseph Comella, Office of Contracts and Procurement, at

(202) 366-9568. Programmatic questions should be directed to Mr. Philip

Gulak, Occupant Protection Division, NHTSA,

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Room 5118 (NTS-12), 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20590 (202)

366-2725. Interested applicants are advised that no separate

application package exists beyond the contents of this announcement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Each year, approximately 42,000 Americans die in traffic crashes

and another three million are injured. Sadly, many of these deaths and

injuries could have been prevented if the victims had been wearing seat

belts or were properly restrained in child safety seats.

Seat belts, when properly used, are 45 percent effective in

preventing deaths in potentially fatal crashes and 50 percent effective

in preventing serious injuries. No other safety device has as much

potential for immediately preventing deaths and injuries in motor

vehicle crashes. The current level of seat belt use across the nation

prevents more than 9,500 deaths and well over 200,000 injuries

annually. Through 1997, more than 100,000 deaths and an estimated 2.5

million serious injuries have been prevented by seat belt use.

But, seat belt use rates and the resulting savings could be much

higher. As of 1998, the average use rate among States in the U.S. was

still well below the goal of 85 percent announced by the President for

the year 2000 and at least a dozen States have use rates below 60

percent. On the other hand, use rates of 85-95 percent are a reality in

most developed nations with seat belt use laws, and at least six States

and the District of Columbia achieved use rates greater than 80 percent

in 1998. A national use rate of 90 percent, among front seat occupants

of all passenger vehicles, would result in prevention of an additional

5,500 deaths and 13,000 serious injuries annually. This would translate

into a $9 billion reduction in societal costs, including 356 million

for Medicare and Medicaid.

In April 1997, the Buckle Up America (BUA) campaign established

ambitious national goals: (a) To increase seat belt use to 85 percent

and reduce child-related fatalities (0-4 years) by 15 percent by the

year 2000; and (b) to increase seat belt use to 90 percent and reduce

child-related fatalities by 25 percent by the year 2005. This campaign

advocates a four-part strategy: (1) Building public-private

partnerships; (2) enacting strong legislation; (3) maintaining high

visibility law enforcement; (4) and conducting effective public

education. Central to this Campaign's successes is the implementation

of two major enforcement mobilizations each year (Memorial Day and

Thanksgiving holidays).

Objectives

To help achieve the new national seat belt goals, NHTSA seeks to

establish cooperative efforts between NHTSA and qualified major

metropolitan law enforcement agencies to increase the use of seat belts

and child safety seats. Specific objectives for this cooperative

agreement program will be to support the BUA campaign by increasing

periodic waves of high visibility enforcement and promoting

participation in Operation: America Buckles Up Children (ABC) national

mobilizations (May and November).

1. Periodic ``Waves'' of High Visibility Enforcement

The history of efforts to increase seat belt use in the U.S. and

Canada suggests that highly visible enforcement of seat belt laws must

be the core of any successful program to increase seat belt use. No

State has ever achieved a high seat belt use rate without such a

component.

Canada currently has a national seat belt use rate well above 90

percent. Nearly every province first attempted to increase seat belt

use through voluntary approaches involving public information and

education. These efforts were effective in achieving only very modest

usage rates (no higher than 30 percent). By 1985, it became obvious to

Canadian and provincial officials that additional efforts would be

needed to achieve levels of 80 percent or greater. These efforts,

mounted from 1985 to 1995, centered around highly publicized ``waves''

of enforcement, a technique that had already been shown to increase

seat belt use in Elmira, New York. When these procedures were

implemented in the Canadian provinces, seat belt use generally

increased from about 60 percent to well over 80 percent, within a

period of 3-5 years.

The Canadian successes using periodic, highly visible ``waves'' of

enforcement, as well as successes of such efforts implemented in local

jurisdictions in the U.S., prompted NHTSA to implement Operation Buckle

Down (also called the ``70'' by ``92'' Program) in 1991. This two-year

program focused on Special Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEPs) to

increase seat belt use. It was followed by a national usage rate

increase from about 53 percent in 1990 to 62 percent by the end of 1992

(as measured by a weighted aggregate of State surveys). Neither the

level of enforcement nor its public visibility was uniform in every

State. Had these ``waves'' of enforcement been implemented in a more

uniform fashion in every state, the impact would likely have been much

greater.

In order to demonstrate the potential of periodic, highly visible

enforcement in a more controlled environment, the State of North

Carolina implemented its Click-It or Ticket program in 1993. In this

program, waves of coordinated and highly publicized enforcement efforts

(i.e., checkpoints) were implemented in every county. As a result, seat

belt use increased statewide, from 65 percent to over 80 percent, in

just a few months. This program provided the clearest possible evidence

to demonstrate the potential of highly visible enforcement to increase

seat belt use in a large jurisdiction.

2. National Mobilizations

National law enforcement mobilizations have also proven effective

in increasing seat belt use. The BUA campaign supports two national

mobilizations each year (Memorial Day and Thanksgiving holidays).

During the 1998 mobilizations conducted throughout the week surrounding

Memorial Day and the week surrounding Thanksgiving, between 4,000 and

5,000 law enforcement agencies participated in Operation ABC. Their

efforts were covered by several hundred national and local television

organizations in all major media markets. More than 1,500 print

articles were written in response to each mobilization. As a result of

the May mobilization, seat belt use increased significantly nationwide

as more than 6,000,000 motorists were convinced to buckle up. Since

that time, seat belt use has continued to increase significantly.

NHTSA Involvement

NHTSA will be involved in all activities undertaken as part of the

cooperative agreement program and will:

1. Provide a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR)

to participate in the planning and management of the cooperative

agreement and to coordinate activities between the selected major

metropolitan law enforcement agencies and NHTSA;

2. Provide information and technical assistance from government

sources, within available resources and as determined appropriate by

the COTR;

3. Act as a liaison between the selected metropolitan law

enforcement agencies and with other government and private agencies as

appropriate; and

4. Stimulate the exchange of ideas and information among

cooperative

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agreement recipients through periodic meetings.

Availability of Funds and Period of Support

Cooperative agreements may be awarded for a period of support for

(1) year and (1) option year. The application for the funding period

(12 months) should address what is proposed and can be accomplished

during that period.

Subject to the availability of funds, the agency anticipates

awarding up to four (4) cooperative agreements in the amount of

$250,000 each, totaling $1,000,000. NHTSA may choose to extend the

period of performance under this agreement for an additional 12 months,

subject to the availability of funds. If NHTSA elects to do so, it will

notify the recipients within 50 days prior to the expiration of this

agreement and the recipient will submit a proposal for an additional 12

months of performance. Federal funding should be viewed as seed money

to assist local law enforcement agencies in the development of traffic

safety initiatives. Monies allocated for cooperative agreements are not

intended to cover all of the costs that will be incurred in the process

of completing the projects. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment

of financial or in-kind resources to the support of the proposed

projects.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to participate in this cooperative

agreement program, an applicant must be a metropolitan law enforcement

agency and must meet the following requirements:

--have jurisdiction to enforce traffic safety laws within the

metropolitan area;

--have support and political permission from the Mayor or other chief

executive officer (in the form of a proclamation or letter of support)

to conduct seat belt enforcement with the metropolitan area;

--have a population of at least 400 thousand within their metropolitan

area's jurisdiction;

--obtain written support from the Governor's Representative or his/her

designee in the State Highway Safety Agency (SHSA) demonstrating that

the applicant's proposal is consistent with the State's overall plan;

Application Procedure

Each applicant must submit one original and two copies of their

application package to: NHTSA, Office of Contracts and Procurement

(NAD-30), ATTN.: Joseph Comella, 400 7th Street, S.W., Room 5301,

Washington, D.C. 20590. An additional five copies will facilitate the

review process, but are not required. Applications are due no later

than August 19, 1999. Only complete application packages received by

the due date shall be considered. Applications must be typed on one

side of the page only. Applications must include a reference to NHTSA

Program No. NTS-01-9-05102. The proposal shall not exceed 25 pages, not

including budget, letters of endorsement, and resumes.

Application Contents

The application package must be submitted with OMB Standard Form

424 (Rev. 4-88), Application for Federal Assistance, including 424A,

Budget Information--Nonconstruction Program, and 424B Assurances--

Nonconstruction Programs, with the required information filled in and

the certified assurances included. The OMB Standard Forms SF-424, SF-

242A and SF424B may be downloaded directly from the OMB Internet web

site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OMB/Grants/. While the Form 424-

A deals with budget information, and Section B identifies Budget

Categories, the available space does not permit a level of detail which

is sufficient to provide for a meaningful evaluation of the proposed

costs. A supplemental sheet should be provided which presents a

detailed breakdown of the proposed costs (direct labor, including labor

categories, level of effort and rate; direct material, including

itemized equipment; travel and transportation, including projected

trips and number of people traveling; subcontracts/subgrants with

similar cost detail, if known; and overhead costs), as well as any

costs which the applicant proposes to contribute in support of this

effort. The budget should be a 1-year plan. Also, the application shall

include a program narrative statement which addresses the following:

1. A description of the project to be pursued which provides:

a. A detailed explanation of the proposed strategy to increase seat

belt use in the metropolitan area, including methods for gaining

support (both within the community and law enforcement leadership). In

addition, strategies for participation in the operation ABC national

mobilizations and plans to conduct ``waves'' of highly publicized seat

belt enforcement. A description of efforts to address training needs

(i.e., differential enforcement or diversity sensitivity).

b. The goals, objectives, and the anticipated results and benefits

of the project (supporting documentation from concerned interests other

than the applicant can be used.)

c. A summary which includes the population of the metropolitan area

for which the law enforcement agency has traffic enforcement

jurisdiction and evidence of support of the enforcement program. The

project must have the written support from the State Highway Safety

Agency; however additional written support may be provided from

Mayoral, and other law enforcement agencies (with overlapping

jurisdictions).

d. List the project activities in chronological order to show the

schedule or accomplishments and their target dates.

e. An explanation demonstrating the need for assistance.

f. Description of any unusual features, such as design or

technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary

social/community involvement.

2. A description of the applicant's previous experience related to this

proposed program effort, i.e., past participation in highly publicized

enforcement or participation in the Operation ABC national seat belt

mobilizations.

3. An evaluation section which describes how the recipient will

evaluate and measure the project activities and outcomes. Describe the

methods for assessing actual results achieved. Outcomes can be

documented in a number of ways (e.g., number of citations, seat belt

use surveys, level of earned media coverage, etc.). Increases in

observed seat belt and child safety seat use are the ultimate measure

of success. Other measures may include: (i) Increases in number of law

enforcement personnel trained to enforce occupant protection laws; (ii)

increased metropolitan participation in Operation ABC enforcement

mobilizations; (iii) increased perception of ongoing enforcement and

public education activities; (iv) incentive programs to complement

enforcement efforts or (v) integration of occupant protection

enforcement activities with other local enforcement activities. Data

sources should be identified and collection and analysis approaches

should be described.

4. A statement of any technical assistance which the applicant may

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require of NHTSA in order to successfully complete the proposed

project.

5. Identification of the proposed program coordinator and other key

personnel identified for participation in the proposed project effort,

including a description of their qualifications, the nature of their

contribution, and their respective organizational responsibilities.

6. A detailed breakdown of the proposed costs, as well the applicant's

financial or in-kind resources to the support of the proposed projects.

Review Process and Criteria

Initially, all applications will be screened to ensure that they

meet the eligibility requirements.

Each complete application from an eligible recipient will then be

evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Committee. The applications will be

evaluated using the following criteria:

1. The potential of the proposed project effort to significantly

increase the enforcement of seat belt laws, with a corresponding

increase in seat belt use within the major metropolitan area. (80

percent)

The evaluation will include the proposed strategy for participating

in the Operation: America Buckles Up Children (ABC) national seat belt

mobilizations and the applicant's proposed strategy to coordinate this

effort with other law enforcement agencies with overlapping

jurisdictions. The applicant's ability to demonstrate support from

local government officials and national organizations will also be

considered in evaluating the potential impact of the proposed project.

(See Application Contents paragraphs 1, 2, 3, and 4)

2. The program management experience and technical expertise of the

proposed personnel and the financial merit of the proposed project (20

percent)

Program management and technical expertise will be estimated by

reviewing the qualifications and experience of the professional team,

the various disciplines represented, and the relative level of effort

proposed for professional, technical, contractual, and support staff.

Consideration will be given to the adequacy of the organizational plan

for accomplishing the proposed project effort. Also, the adequacy of

the facilities, equipment, and other resources identified to accomplish

the proposed project effort will be considered. Financial merit will be

estimated by the cost of the cooperative agreement to be borne by NHTSA

and the in-kind contribution provided by the applicant as compared to

the anticipated benefits. (See Application Contents paragraphs 5 and 6)

Terms and Conditions of Award

1. Prior to award, the recipient must comply with the certification

requirements of 49 CFR part 20, Department of Transportation New

Restriction on Lobbying, and 49 CFR Part 29, Department of

Transportation Government-wide Debarment and Suspension

(Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free

Workplace (Grants).

2. During the effective period of the cooperative agreement(s) awarded

as a result of this notice, the agreement(s) shall be subject to

NHTSA's General Provisions for Assistance Agreements (7/95).

3. Reporting Requirements

a. Monthly Reports, which shall be due 15 days after the end of

each month, shall be submitted to document project efforts and results.

The reports should include up to date information (including

summarizing accomplishments, obstacles and problems encountered,

noteworthy activities) and should be suitable for public dissemination.

b. Final Report: The recipient shall submit a final report

summarizing the project effort within 30 days after the completion of

the project. The final report will include an evaluation section as

proposed in the initial proposal. An original and three copies of each

of these reports shall be submitted to the COTR. The recipient shall

submit a draft final report to the NHTSA COTR 60 days prior to end of

the performance period. The COTR will review the draft report and

provide comments to the recipient within 30 days of receipt of the

document.

c. Briefing to NHTSA: The recipient may be requested to conduct an

oral presentation of project activities for the COTR and other

interested NHTSA personnel. For planning purposes, assume that these

presentations will be conducted at the NHTSA Office of Traffic and

Injury Control Programs, Washington, D.C. An original and three copies

of briefing materials shall be submitted to the COTR.

Issued on: July 15, 1999.

Rose A. McMurray,

Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-18503 Filed 7-19-99; 8:45 am]

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