News

Read the latest news and announcements from traffic safety interest groups and about traffic safety topics here.

Scooting to a New Era in Active Transportation: Examining the Use and Safety of E-scooters

  • June 23rd, 2022

The modern transportation paradigm is an ever-shifting target and, most recently, micro-mobility options such as electric shared scooter systems (e-scooters) have been contributing to local municipalities’ ability to adapt. Although several agencies have moved towards a “regulate-pilot-evaluate-revise” approach to addressing the transformative technologies of e-scooters, the seemingly overnight proliferation of this new mode in urban […]

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Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021

  • June 17th, 2022

A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for 2021 shows that an estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. This represents an increase of about 10.5 percent as compared to 38,824 fatalities reported in 2020. This also represents the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the highest annual percentage increase in the […]

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Seat Belt Use in 2021 — Use Rates in the States and Territories

  • June 17th, 2022

In 2021, seat belt use in the United States ranged from 72.3 percent in the U.S. Virgin Islands to 97.2 percent in California. Twenty-three States, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands achieved seat belt use rates of 90 percent or higher. These results are from probability-based observational surveys conducted […]

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Pedestrian Deaths Becoming More Common on Alabama Roadways

  • June 13th, 2022

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – Some troubling statistics on accidents involving pedestrians not just across the state, but closer to home here as well. There doesn’t seem to be a clear reason why there’s an upward trend. What is clear is that it’s happening too frequently. Here’s what we learned. Last year, law enforcement in Alabama […]

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Synthesis of Studies That Relate Amount of Enforcement to Magnitude of Safety Outcomes [Traffic Tech]

  • June 13th, 2022

In the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, Congress directed NHTSA to establish the National Cooperative Research and Evaluation Program (NCREP) to conduct research and evaluations of State highway safety countermeasures. Under a subsequent reauthorization, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, program activities have continued. This program is administered by […]

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Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving

Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving

  • June 13th, 2022

Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatal crash involving a driver with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired-driving crash, and fatalities occurring in those crashes are considered to be alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities. The […]

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Directing Drivers’ Attention: A State Highway Safety Office Roadmap for Combating Distracted Driving

Directing Drivers’ Attention: A State Highway Safety Office Roadmap for Combating Distracted Driving

  • June 13th, 2022

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 3,142 people died in distraction-related crashes in the U.S. in 2020. Another estimated 400,000 people are injured each year in distracted driving crashes. However, the true numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting. The most visible form of driver distraction is the use […]

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Summer Driving Tips

  • June 1st, 2022

Of the many great things about summertime, few match the fun of a family road trip. So, before you hook up that new boat or camper, or hit the road with your family or friends, take the time to review these summer travel safety tips. Prevention and planning may take a little time up front, but […]

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U.S. Traffic Deaths Reach 16-Year High

  • May 18th, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported today that 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 – the most since 2005 and an average of 117 deaths every day. Crash deaths rose by 10.5% in 2021 compared to the year before, making it the largest ever annual percentage increase in the […]

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