Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded nearly $9.3 million in grants to expand statewide traffic law enforcement and promote safe driving, including programs that serve Baldwin County.

According to a news release, the funding will allow the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and four regional traffic safety offices to cover overtime for police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers. Extra patrols during peak travel times will target speeding, seat belt violations and impaired driving.

“Those who are disobeying traffic laws or driving while impaired needlessly put themselves and everyone else on the road at risk,” Ivey said in the release. “Working together with these partners, our goals are to change driving behaviors and reduce fatalities to the best of our ability, helping ensure that everyone safely arrives at their destination.”

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received $1.4 million in grants. An $800,000 award will support the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP, allowing officers to work extra shifts at specific locations to enforce traffic laws and educate drivers. A $600,000 grant will fund targeted efforts to reduce driving under the influence at statistically identified problem areas.

The Mobile County Commission received five grants totaling about $1.5 million for the Southwest Regional Highway Safety Office, which serves Baldwin County along with Bibb, Chilton, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washington and Wilcox counties. Programs include a campaign promoting seat belt and child restraint use, the Community Traffic Safety Program, the Hot Spot Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign and STEP.

Other regional offices receiving grants include the North Central Alabama Highway Safety Office with $2.7 million for 16 counties, the East Central Alabama Community Highway Safety Office with $2 million for 13 counties, and the Southeast Alabama Community Highway Safety Office with $1.6 million for 20 counties. Each office will fund a combination of high-visibility enforcement, impaired driving campaigns, STEP initiatives and other safety programs.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants using funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ADECA oversees programs supporting law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

“The programs supported by these grants form a comprehensive strategy for making Alabama’s highways and roads safer,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in support of these initiatives to prevent traffic deaths and injuries.”