South Carolina traffic safety officials are hoping for $11 million in extra federal money as a result of the General Assembly’s June passage of a tougher seat-belt law.

The money would go for things like widening road shoulders, straightening dangerous curves, safety education programs and beefed-up traffic law enforcement, officials said.

“If it happens, it would fund the largest safety initiative program that I’ve seen in my 20-plus years working in highway safety in this state,” said Terecia Wilson, director of safety for the S.C. Department of Transportation.

Wilson spoke Friday, the day Congress passed a massive highway bill. According to the office of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the bill contained financial incentives for states with tough seat-belt laws. In South Carolina’s case, those incentives could total $11 million.

However, there’s a possible snag. Before South Carolina can get the $11 million, the state’s new seat-belt law must pass muster with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

S.C. officials said that federal agency will be sure to scrutinize a loophole in the state’s new seat-belt law. That loophole prevents police from ticketing seat-belt violators at checkpoints set up to catch motorists for not wearing seat belts.

“Once the new federal transportation law is finalized, South Carolina will officially submit its ... law to see if it meets the criteria,” Wilson said.

In June, libertarian legislators threatened to filibuster the tougher seat-belt bill unless the loophole was in the bill. Checkpoint stops are considered a vital part of strong seat-belt bills. Pro-safety lawmakers allowed the loophole rather than have the bill die in the General Assembly’s last days.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wouldn’t comment Friday until its officials had a chance to study the final version of the highway transportation law, a spokesman said.

South Carolina’s new seat-belt law goes into effect Dec. 9 — loophole and all.

For the first time, S.C. law enforcement officers will be allowed to stop motorists if they see them not wearing a seat belt. In most cases, the law prevents police from ticketing motorists for failing to wear a seat belt unless the motorist first violates another traffic law.

Pro-safety lawmakers worked for decades to pass the bill. South Carolina has one of the nation’s highest rates of highway deaths and one of the lowest rates of seat-belt use. About 75 percent of those killed in S.C. accidents each year do not wear seat belts. Half could be saved if they buckled up, studies say.

If South Carolina gets the $11 million, Department of Transportation director Betty Mabry and Department of Public Safety director Jim Schweitzer will decide how to divide the money.

When the two agencies have shared federal safety money in the past, they have divided it equally, said Max Young, who heads the highway safety office of the Department of Public Safety.

The passage of the seat-belt bill and a Memorial Day seat-belt education blitz by the Highway Patrol already have increased seat-belt use in the state to 70 percent from 66 percent, according to a University of South Carolina survey, Young said.

Before the new law takes effect Dec. 9, state agencies will launch an education and publicity campaign to alert motorists, Young said. On Dec. 9, police will start to ticket violators, he added.

“There will be no grace period. Right now is the grace period.”