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Read the latest news and announcements from traffic safety interest groups and about traffic safety topics here.
Maintenance Operations
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has established several programs and policies to mitigate the safety and mobility impacts of work zones. One such policy is the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule. This Rule requires agencies that receive Federal-aid highway funding to develop and implement an agency-level work zone safety and mobility policy, procedures to […]
Seat Belt Use in 2014—Overall Results
Seat belt use in 2014 remained at 87 percent, unchanged from 2013. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which is the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety […]
Traffic Likely to be Worse in 30 Years
NPR: Moving from crisis to crisis — for too long that’s been America’s strategy for dealing with the challenges of an aging transit infrastructure, from roads to bridges to ports. The result is a system that’s crumbling and in desperate need of attention, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The […]
Traffic law ‘turning point’? Ohio judge rules speed cameras violate rights
Speed cameras just got ticketed. An Ohio judge ruled Thursday that a Cincinnati-area community’s speed cameras violate drivers’ rights under the state constitution, in what attorneys on the case called a first-ever ruling against the ubiquitous enforcement tool.
Traffic Safety Facts 2015: Critical Reasons for Crashes
The National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS), conducted from 2005 to 2007, was aimed at collecting on-scene information about the events and associated factors leading up to crashes involving light vehicles. Several facets of crash occurrence were investigated during data collection, namely the precrash movement, critical pre-crash event, critical reason, and the associated factors. […]
Germany Set to Open Autobahn to Self-Driving Vehicles
Prototypes of driverless cars are set to get the go-ahead on a stretch of Germany’s busy A9 autobahn. For years, the country’s car makers have been developing models with “autonomous driving” technology —passenger vehicles and trucks that can self-drive in cities and on highways without human interference. According to an internal memo, Germany’s traffic ministry hopes to […]
U.S. to Unveil Changes to 5-Star Safety Ratings
The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the Obama administration will unveil a change in its five-star New Car Assessment Program on Thursday that awards cars and trucks up to five stars in crash tests. NHTSA may be announcing that it will include on new vehicle stickers whether vehicles have automatic braking […]
U.S. Urges Google to Focus on Safety in Driverless Test
The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants search engine Google Inc. to ensure that its autonomous cars that it plans to test later this year are safe. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said he’s told Google to think about safety when it tests and builds its self-driving cars. “Take the same really great […]
Traffic Lights on Your Windshield Could Get You Home Faster
Being stuck in traffic is one of the most infuriating experiences for a driver, but researchers at Carnegie Mellon University may have found a solution. They claim they can reduce the commute times of urban workers by 40% by replacing physical traffic lights with virtual traffic lights. “With this technology, traffic lights will be created on demand […]