Federal grant involvement in traffic safety dates from the passage of the National Highway Safety Act of 1966. Texas passed a companion act, the Traffic Safety Act of 1967.

The Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program became an integral part of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in 1979. At that time, districts assumed responsibility for local projects. However, beginning in 2010, the Traffic Safety Specialists (TSSs) who previously reported to the districts and managed local projects now report to the TxDOT Traffic Safety Division - Behavioral Traffic Safety Section (TRF-BTS), in Austin, Texas. At present, there are 30 TSSs, with at least one TSS in each of the 25 TxDOT districts.

While the TSSs are responsible for managing local projects, responsibility for the overall Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program resides with TRF-BTS, located at Austin headquarters. The TxDOT Executive Director is the designated Governor’s Highway Safety Representative.