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.
As vehicle automation takes on more and more of the driving tasks, the driver’s role will transform from an operator to a system supervisor. With higher levels of automation, the automated vehicle is able to monitor the environment, allowing the driver to engage in non-driving related tasks. However, if the automated vehicle reaches its system […]
This report examines challenges States face improving traffic safety information systems. The foundation for the report is the State Traffic Records Assessment Program data from 2018 to 2022 and technical assistance requests States have made to NHTSA since 2015. Of the six traffic records systems (crash, driver, vehicle, roadway, citation and adjudication, and injury surveillance), […]
This Research Brief provides highlights from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2022 American Driving Survey (ADS), which quantifies the daily driving of the U.S. population in 2022 and compares results to 2021 and 2020. Results show that 94.5% of U.S. residents ages 16 years and older drove at least occasionally in 2022. Drivers reported […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an evolving and important tool, enabling technology to augment human tasks and perform tasks humans cannot or would not. In the field of transportation, automated vehicles (AVs) are perhaps the best-known application of AI. However, there are other examples of AI which can improve safety, operational performance, data collection and analytics, […]
In 2021 there were 7,489 people 65 and older killed in traffic crashes in the United States, accounting for 17 percent of all traffic fatalities. From 2020 to 2021 there was a 14-percent increase in the number of people 65 and older killed in traffic crashes. View the full findings here.
When approaching a lane reduction, drivers typically attempt to merge into the appropriate lane as soon as possible, even in congested conditions. Aggressive driving can occur when drivers merge at the last minute because they are potentially perceived to be “cutting the line.” This perception could stem from traditional traffic control device messaging suggesting that […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking to recall 52 million airbag inflators produced by auto suppliers ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive over fears they could explode and hurl shrapnel. NHTSA first demanded the recall in May. ARC responded that no defect existed in the inflators and that any problems were related to isolated manufacturing issues. Read […]
The term young driver refers to a person 15 to 20 years old operating a motor vehicle. People in this age group generally obtain their licenses for the first time and many are under graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs as they learn driving skills. Read the full study here.
In 2022 seat belt use in the United States ranged from 67 percent in the U.S. Virgin Islands to 96.5 percent in Oregon. Twenty-six States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands achieved seat belt use rates of 90 percent or higher. These results are from probability-based observational surveys conducted […]
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), state departments of transportation (state DOT) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) play a key role in implementing activities to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, including on-road emissions from vehicles. GAO found examples of state DOTs and MPOs engaging in these activities, including estimating emissions, analyzing the effects of […]