The U.S. Transportation Department will announce on Tuesday it is awarding $94.8 million to 79 projects to boost road safety.

Improve transit reliability and use drones and sensors for transportation projects.

The $1 trillion November 2021 infrastructure law dedicates $500 million over five years for Smart mobility projects.

U.S Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the grants would " foster innovations that improve people's day-to-day lives, making transportation safer, more reliable, more efficient, and more sustainable".

Detroit is getting $2 million for sensors to create smart intersections by using existing traffic cameras to deploy artificial intelligence software.

Traffic deaths jumped 10.5% to 42,915 in 2021, the highest number killed on American roads since 2005.

After declining for years, traffic deaths jumped sharply after COVID-19 lockdowns expired in 2020 and more drivers engaged in unsafe behaviour.