News

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

  • September 1st, 2020

The “85th percentile rule” is commonly used to set speed limits in jurisdictions across the U.S. Modern interpretations of the rule are that it satisfies key conditions needed for safe roadways: it sets speed limits deemed reasonable to the typical, prudent driver, reduces the problematic variance in travel speeds among vehicles, and allows law enforcement […]

  • September 1st, 2020

How many people are staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic? How far are people traveling when they don’t stay home? Which states and counties have more people taking trips? Start exploring USDOT’s Daily Travel data to answer those questions. Dive into the site’s interactive map to see what percentage of the population is staying […]

  • August 31st, 2020

In the United States alone, tens of millions of vehicles, car seats, tires and other equipment are recalled every year. We know because at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration we set and enforce vehicle safety standards. And, when vehicles and related equipment have safety defects, we manage the recalls Now, thanks to our new […]

  • August 31st, 2020

It is Week 25 of the coronavirus pandemic, and total crash data is showing a decline in Alabama. Overall, crashes have declined to around 90% of their pre-COVID-19 levels. The number of fatal crashes increased over the two-week period. View Graph  This report comes amid reports from other states indicating that their drivers are taking […]

  • August 28th, 2020

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Members of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division and State Bureau of Investigation are back in the classroom. The agency is currently utilizing both laser scanners and drone technology to gather various types of information from crash and crime scenes throughout the state to create 3-D images. This will […]

  • August 25th, 2020

Teen drivers experience higher crash risk than their experienced adult counterparts. Legislative and community outreach methods have attempted to reduce this risk; results have been mixed. The increasing presence of vehicle safety features across the fleet has driven fatality numbers down in the past decades, but the disparity between young drivers and others remains. Read […]

  • August 25th, 2020

In 2018 pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for 19 percent of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States. This report shares examples and ideas of how law enforcement can address pedestrian and bicyclist safety including real-world examples and resources. Law enforcement officers bring unique strengths to road safety and injury prevention programs. As first responders, […]

  • August 21st, 2020

To combat America’s opioid and heroin epidemic, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, launched a joint nationwide education initiative called “Operation Prevention.” Designed for elementary, middle, and high school students, educators and parents nationwide, Operation Prevention is an important effort to educate students about the science […]

  • August 17th, 2020

It is Week 23 of the coronavirus pandemic, and total crash data is showing a decline in Alabama. Overall, crashes have declined to around 90% of their pre-COVID-19 levels, INCLUDING speed-involved crashes. The number of fatal crashes remained the same over the two-week period. View Graph  This report comes amid reports from other states indicating […]