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.
Fully autonomous vehicles, which would carry out many or all of their functions without the intervention of a driver, may someday bring sweeping social and economic changes and “lead to breakthrough gains in transportation safety.” Motor vehicle crashes caused an estimated 36,096 fatalities in 2019 and are estimated to have caused significantly more deaths in […]
This report describes efforts to develop improved crash prediction methods for crash type and severity for the three facility types covered in the 2010 Highway Safety Manual (HSM)—specifically, two‐lane rural highways, multilane rural highways, and urban/suburban arterials. For each, models were estimated for undivided and divided (multilane rural and urban/suburban only) segments and three‐ and […]
Even without the recent upsurge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, bicycling has increased in popularity in many U.S. cities over the last decade. However, even as the number of bicyclists and bike trips steadily grows, many communities have struggled to create truly inclusive bike cultures. Furthermore, bicycling still remains completely out of reach for […]
883 children have died due to vehicular heatstroke since 1998. Yet, all these deaths could have been prevented. Sadly, these are the statistics as of April 29, 2021 (https://www.noheatstroke.org/index.htm): National average of child heatstroke fatalities per year since 1998: 38 Child heatstroke fatalities in 2021: 1 Child heatstroke fatalities in 2020: 24 Child heatstroke fatalities in 2019: […]
Driving has become a rite of passage in American culture. Many teens anxiously await the day when their parents or guardians hand over the car keys. Some parents also look forward to the day when their teen no longer needs daily rides to school or activities. Giving your teen a personal vehicle can make life […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as “any activity that diverts attention from driving.” With the proliferation of personal electronic devices and in-vehicle technology in our society, many jurisdictions have enacted or pursued enhancements to distracted driving laws to reduce or eliminate crashes in which the proximate cause is distracted driving […]
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) joined state Departments of Transportation and other organizations nationwide today to urge drivers to keep highway workers safe as construction activities increase. They also urged the public to wear orange on April 28 for a national “Go Orange” Day to show their support […]
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – National Work Zone Safety Week serves as a reminder to all drivers to slow down and pay more attention as they move through work zones on the road. The Alabama Department of Transportation is using this week to launch the Move Over, Slow Down, Save Lives safety campaign. During the spring […]
The first edition of the HSM included safety performance functions (SPFs) for roadway segments and intersections. However, not all intersection types are covered in the first edition of tthe HSM. This research was conducted to develop SPFs for new intersection configurations and traffic control types not covered in the first edition of the HSM, for […]
Highway work zones often have major safety and mobility impacts, which are made worse when travelers are unaware that they are approaching a work zone. To monitor and mitigate the mobility and safety impacts of road construction, transportation agencies, first responders, and the public require accurate information about the location, extent, and timing of construction-related […]
