NHTSA
Experts: Feds Aren’t Fixing Pedestrian Safety Crisis
Federal officials are failing to protect pedestrians — and, in fact, err on the side of drivers and even blame walkers for a pedestrian death toll has increased 50 percent in just eight years, advocates say.
October 12, 2018
Safety Board Responds to Ped Crash Crisis
Better headlights. Safer front ends. More money and resources for pedestrian planning. That's NTSB's prescription for skyrocketing pedestrian deaths.
September 26, 2018
Federal Safety Officials Knew SUV Design Kills Pedestrians and Didn’t Act
A 2015 NHTSA report reviewed a range of research showing that people are two to three times more likely to be killed when struck by an SUV than by a typical passenger car.
June 29, 2018
Traffic Safety Report Finds More Drivers Using Cellphones
Despite laws against using a hand-held phone or similar device, a new report shows that people are not putting down their phones.
April 24, 2018
America Hasn’t Seen a Spike in Traffic Deaths This Bad in 50 Years
America's traffic safety record is going from bad to worse -- and federal transportation officials aren't speaking up about it.
October 11, 2017
Why Are Carmakers Allowed to Sell Products That Go Faster Than 100 MPH?
It's never safe to drive 115 mph on public roadways. Why do we allow companies to sell millions of cars that can reach those speeds or higher?
August 30, 2017
Will US DOT’s Self-Driving Car Rules Make Streets Safe for Walking and Biking?
This week, U.S. DOT released guidelines for self-driving cars, a significant step as regulators prepare for companies to bring this new technology to market. Autonomous vehicles raise all sorts of questions about urban transportation systems. It's up to advocates to ensure that the technology helps accomplish broader goals like safer streets and more efficient use of urban space, instead of letting private companies dictate the terms.
September 22, 2016
U.S. Traffic Fatalities Rising Fast — Especially Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths
Traffic fatalities in America hit a seven-year high in 2015, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for a disproportionate share of the alarming increase, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
July 1, 2016
AAA: Distracted Driving Now Standard in New Cars, Thanks to In-Dash Devices
Distracted driving isn't just about texting -- it's the mental effort of multi-tasking that makes people less alert and more dangerous behind the wheel. As hands-free devices like in-dash, voice-activated computer systems proliferate in new-model cars, they create additional risks. Using these devices can cause lingering distractions for up to 27 seconds after the task is completed, according to new research from AAA [PDF].
October 29, 2015
How America’s Staggering Traffic Death Rate Became Matter-of-Fact
How did more than 30,000 annual motor vehicle deaths become something that most Americans accept as normal? A new paper by Boston University professor Itai Vardi tries to answer that question.
September 14, 2015