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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that 91,000 police-reported crashes resulting in 50,000 injuries and 800 fatalities annually—amounting to approximately 1%–2% of all crashes, injuries, and deaths—involve drowsy driving; however, the contribution of drowsy driving in motor vehicle crashes is difficult to measure. Although reports by police officers who investigate crashes sometimes indicate […]
When a vehicle breaks down or a minor crash has occurred, drivers and their families can become stranded on the side of the highway as traffic speeds past. Roadside assistance providers courageously dedicate themselves to helping motorists during this time of great vulnerability, often placing themselves in harm’s way to ensure that others are able […]
Roadside assistance providers such as motor vehicle towing personnel, mobile mechanics, and safety service patrollers often work on or alongside highways to help motorists stranded due to vehicle breakdowns or crashes. This places them at risk of being struck by passing vehicles. Research is needed to understand the circumstances of crashes in which roadside assistance […]
NHTSA has recently issued a projection report of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for the first half of 2023 (Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (Jan–Jun) of 2023, Report No. DOT HS 813 514). That report shows an estimated 19,515 people died […]
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2023 shows an estimated 19,515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.3 percent as compared to 20,190 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2022, as shown in Table 1. The second quarter of 2023 represents […]
Young drivers are nearly four times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic crash than their older counterparts, but a GHSA report confirms that crash and fatality rates for drivers under 21 have improved drastically over the past two decades – more so than for other drivers. The report includes an analysis of […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today released its early estimates of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2023, estimating that traffic fatalities declined for the fifth straight quarter. An estimated 19,515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, representing a decrease of about 3.3% as compared to 20,190 fatalities in the first half of […]
Each year, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) provides a first look at national and state-level pedestrian fatality data and trends through a Spotlight on Highway Safety report, typically published in late spring or early summer. This year’s report is divided into three sections. It presents pedestrian fatality projections for all of 2022 based on […]
The number and rate of traffic fatalities in the U.S. surged starting in 2020, even as the rate of vehicle travel plunged while the nation grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend of increasing traffic fatalities continued in 2021, as vehicle travel returned to near pre-pandemic levels. From 2021 to 2022 the […]
Driving over the speed limit endangers all road users. By maintaining a safe speed on our roads, CMV drivers are able to better control their large vehicles and carefully react to changing road conditions, like traffic or weather impacts. The action is simple: maintain safe speeds to help save lives. For more information on this campaign, […]