US DOT Brings Together Allies to Stop High Rate of Traffic Deaths

By Yehudit Garmaise

After 38,824 Americans died on the roads in 2020, the crisis on the roads continued in 2021, when 42,939 fatalities were reported: showing the biggest jump in the year-to-year statistics ever recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In 2022, as the pandemic waned, the number of Americans who were killed in car crashes was: 42,795, which showed only a 0.3% decrease from the previous year.

While other high-income countries did not experience the excessive car crashes recently seen in the U.S., the federal government has funded efforts with the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Roadway Safety Strategy, which highlights the need for more research into interventions against risky behavior on the roads.

Last week, DOT announced more than 30 new commitments from organizations, such as Door Dash, the American Motorcyclist Association, and Families for Safer Streets, which are taking action to reverse the crisis in traffic fatalities, the U.S. DOT announced. 

The now more than 80 organizations that comprise the organizations that call themselves: Allies in Action “have committed to taking specific, tangible steps to actively reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on America’s roads".

In addition, $1 billion is now available as part of a discretionary grant program for Safe Streets and Roads for All. The grants will help cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations create safety plans, demonstrate effective strategies, and carry out infrastructure projects that prevent deaths and serious injuries on our nation’s roadways.