An official website of the United States government.
Here's how you know
The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser's address (or "location") bar.
This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that's been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.
Traffic management systems (TMSs) and Transportation Management Centers are critical resources that offer agencies the potential to improve the safety and mobility of travel on the surface transportation system. TMSs also assist agencies fulfilling the ever-increasing transportation needs of travelers (e.g., travel times), service providers (e.g., transit, emergency services), other agencies, and the public (e.g., […]
In 2014 NHTSA specified an area behind the vehicle that must be displayed to the driver while backing, which applied to new passenger vehicles beginning with model year 2018. Most manufacturers responded by adding rearview video systems (RVSs) to their vehicles. Research has shown that using RVSs can reduce crash risk (Hurwitz et al., 2010); […]
This fact sheet contains information on fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes from the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). Results from FARS, such as fatal crashes and fatalities, are actual counts, while results from CRSS, such as non-fatal crashes and […]
This fact sheet reports data on traffic fatalities by race and ethnicity, which might help develop countermeasures for those at risk. The term “race-ethnicity” is used to refer to the combined classification of race and ethnicity data. It also uses race-ethnicity categories based on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 1997 Guidelines on Race […]
This report was prepared in accordance with Section 25025 (Drug-Impaired Driving Data Collection) of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), Pub. L. 117-58. The report summarizes what is known about the collection of drug-impaired driving data and its reporting to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The report describes the FARS data collection process […]
New and emerging sources of data generated from travelers using mobile devices, vehicles, infrastructure, and other sources provide agencies with opportunities to change how they manage traffic and their transportation systems. These sources of data offer agencies an incentive to enhance or develop the capabilities of their transportation management systems to collect, compile, save, use, […]
Impaired driving continues to be a significant public health and public safety problem in the United States. In 2021 some 30 percent of the 42,915 traffic fatalities involved alcohol-impaired drivers (drivers with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] of .08 grams per deciliter or higher). In addition, there has been a significant increase in drug-impaired driving and […]
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for 2023 shows an estimated 40,990 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.6 percent as compared to 42,514 fatalities reported to have occurred in 2022. The fourth quarter of 2023 represents the seventh consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities beginning with the second quarter of […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration works to reduce the occurrence of distracted driving and raise awareness of its dangers. This risky driving behavior poses a danger not only to vehicle occupants but pedestrians and pedalcyclists as well. Driver distraction is a specific type of driver inattention that occurs when drivers divert attention from the […]
Work zones present many challenges for trucks and buses – narrow lanes, sudden stops, traffic pattern shifts, and uneven road surfaces require all drivers to stay alert. In fact, large trucks are over represented in work zone crashes, making up nearly one-third of fatal work zone crashes. It’s critical that all road users approach work […]