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A past research effort initiated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) found that the combined workload of guidance (i.e., selection of the vehicle path) and control (i.e., physical operation of the vehicle) in the vicinity of interchanges creates a particularly challenging environment for motorists (Katz et al. 2018). At interchange ramp locations, drivers use cues […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers a traffic crash to be speeding-related if any driver in the crash was charged with a speeding related offense or if a police officer indicated that racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the crash. A speeding-related fatality […]
In 2022 there were 6,218 motorcyclists killed, 15 percent of all traffic fatalities. The number of motorcyclist fatalities in 2022 increased by 1 percent from 2021, from 6,143 to 6,218. Read the full fact guide here.
Advanced in-vehicle technology is becoming more commonplace in the U.S. passenger vehicle fleet. Under limited circumstances, driver support features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane centering assist (LCA), and other forms of vehicle automation can now perform parts of the driving task. It follows that these features can change drivers’ roles, including adopting passive […]
This report is an introduction to behavioral traffic safety countermeasures for rural stakeholders who want to build capacity, form partnerships, and address problems in their communities, based on NHTSA’s 11th edition of Countermeasures That Work. This new report features select speed, alcohol-impaired driving, and occupant protection countermeasures relevant to rural communities. It is not intended […]
After a brief reduction during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic fatalities in the United States surged to the highest levels in many years. Initially experts hypothesized that the increase was due in large part to reduced traffic volumes facilitating speeding. However, traffic fatality rates remained elevated throughout 2021 and 2022, despite traffic […]
Passenger vehicles are defined as motor vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of 10,000 pounds or less and include passenger cars and light trucks (SUVs, pickups, vans, and other light trucks). In 2022 there were 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants who died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a 4-percent decrease from 26,465 in 2021. An estimated […]
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2024 shows an estimated 8,650 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.2 percent as compared to 8,935 fatalities projected to have occurred in 2023, as shown in Table 1. The first quarter of 2024 represents the eighth consecutive quarterly […]
In 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236, restricted speed is defined as a speed that permits stopping within one-half the range of vision, but does not exceed 20 mph. While previous studies have focused extensively on the safety risks associated with high-frequency, high-consequence accidents, comparatively little prior work has been undertaken to evaluate railroad […]
GHSA’s annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report offers the first look at state and national trends in pedestrian traffic deaths for 2023 based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs). The data analysis found that 29 states had fewer pedestrian deaths in 2023 compared to the year before, while 21 and Washington, […]