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Read the latest news and announcements from traffic safety interest groups and about traffic safety topics here.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued new voluntary guidance about developing vehicles using automated driving systems, in what was widely reported to be a more industry-friendly version than guidance last year by the Obama administration. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said the latest guidance, dubbed 2.0, “supports further development of this […]
Many of America’s leading companies are exploring one of the most exciting innovations in recent transportation history—automated driving systems (ADS)—commonly referred to as automated or self-driving vehicles. At DOT, we’re excited about the possibility of automated vehicles delivering a future that is safer, freer, and more efficient. That’s why, this week, we released Automated Driving Systems: […]
Last month, a weird, seemingly driverless vehicle was spotted cruising around the Washington, DC area and northern Virginia. My colleague Kif Leswing covered the story and reported that there was actually a driver involved — just wearing a “seat suit.” That’s right, he was disguised as an empty seat. We now know that the whole […]
The head of the 1.4-million member International Brotherhood of Teamsters union is mounting an aggressive effort to convince Congress to reject new rules to speed the deployment of self-driving trucks, warning they could lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduce road safety. James P. Hoffa, who has headed the union […]
The General Motors unit developing autonomous vehicles said Monday it has begun rolling out the first “mass producible” self-driving cars that could be available once regulations allow. “This isn’t just a concept design — it has airbags, crumple zones, and comfortable seats,” said Kyle Vogt, who heads Cruise Automation, a technology startup acquired by GM […]
As the endurance race to bring fully automated vehicles to market continues, engineers are increasingly focused on the practical realities of what it will take produce vehicles capable of safely operating without a human driver. While most of the efforts in Silicon Valley seem to be targeted at developing sophisticated artificial intelligence software that can […]
The NHTSA Office of EMS collaborated with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to research on-the-job injuries in EMS. According to the four-year study, more than 22,000 EMS workers visited emergency departments each year for work-related injuries. NIOSH and NHTSA created a fact sheet with tips on what EMS employers can do […]
As the needs of communities, the quality of EMS research, and other key factors change, national, state and local EMS organizations grapple with defining the scopes of practice for EMS practitioners at different certification levels. Many turn to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model, published in 2007, for guidance. Recognizing the need to update that […]
After receiving initial input from hundreds of people nationally, the EMS Agenda 2050 Technical Expert Panel has been working to create a Straw Man document that will include many of those ideas in order to stimulate further conversation, elicit feedback and develop a community-driven vision. The Straw Man was recently released, and the first of four regional […]
Despite advances in prehospital and in-hospital care over the last half-century, trauma remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. Greater than 35,000 people die in traffic crashes each year, or about 4 every hour. One-fifth of those deaths, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), could be prevented […]
