Lifesavers Conference 2018

The Lifesavers Conference is the largest gathering of highway safety professionals in the United States, bringing together a unique combination of public health and safety professionals, researchers, advocates, practitioners and students committed to sharing best practices, research, and policy initiatives that are proven to work.

New Web Products

Traffic Safety Marketing

Be sure to visit the Traffic Safety marketing website for all of the new Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and Underage Drinking and Driving campaign materials.

Online Ignition Interlock Course for Law Enforcement

This two-hour course will equip law enforcement officers with information and resources on ignition interlock devices to assist them when they encounter a driver roadside who has, or should have, a device installed in their vehicle. The course is hosted on the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training website, and is approved for continuing education credits.

2018 National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization 

Products for Law Enforcement Action Kit (PEAK) - This campaign includes fact sheets, infographics, banner ads, and web videos.

On the Web

Impaired Driving

• Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Manual, 2nd Edition
  (PDF, 770.79 KB) September 2016; DOT HS 812 313
  This manual provides new State Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors (TSRPs) an introduction to their roles and responsibilities as TSRPs. It provides a variety of resources to assist TSRPs in their work, including qualifications needed for the position, sample work plans, sample correspondence, available training courses related to the prosecution of DWI offenders, and a listing of State TSRPs and State Prosecutor Coordinators.

• Effects of Medical Conditions on Driving Performance
  (PDF, 15.29 MB) March 2018; DOT HS 812 439
  This report investigated the effects of selected medical conditions on the performance of older drivers. Conditions included COPD, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, and peripheral neuropathy. Performance between groups with and without medical conditions was equivalent in virtually all respects based on vehicle kinematic data and crash and near-crash  events. A panel discussion sought input from continuing care retirement communities on identifying residents at-risk for driving and overcoming the organizational and personal barriers  when residents experience diminished driving performance.

• Marijuana-Impaired Driving – A Report to Congress
  (PDF, 1.06 MB) July 2017; DOT HS 812 440
  The report is designed to educate the public that drugs other than alcohol — including marijuana — are absorbed, distributed, and eliminated from the body differently than alcohol. While blood alcohol concentration (BAC) correlates closely with impairment, there is no such measure (e.g., THC) for marijuana that correlates with impairment. Thus, a BAC-equivalent  impairment measure is not possible.

• Impact of the Legalization and Decriminalization of Marijuana on the DWI System: Highlights From the Expert Panel Meeting
  (PDF, 9.7 MB) June 2017; DOT HS 812 430
  In accordance with the MAP-21 Act, NHTSA and GHSA convened an expert panel to study recreational and/or medical marijuana laws and their effects on driving, including law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, probation officers, toxicologists, and highway safety officials. The panel identified changes to the DWI system following the enactment of laws legalizing and/or decriminalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational purposes; identified lessons learned; and found measures that should be used to evaluate these laws and their impact on traffic safety and the DWI system.

Consumer Information

• Get Up to Speed on Motorcycles on Trafficsafetymarketing.gov
  Motorists and motorcyclists can work together to save lives. To help reduce motorcycle collisions and help save lives, NHTSA has released these new materials to help motorists understand standard motorcycle driving behaviors, and how to drive safely around motorcyclists on our roadways. Materials include: animated banner ads, earned media, the “What They Don’t Teach You in Driving School” primer, downloadable logos, sample social media posts, web videos, and a sample website that States can use to create their own “Share the Road With Motorcyclists” campaign.

• Parent’s Guide to Playing it Safe With Kids and Cars brochure (PDF, 2.27 MB)
  This brochure outlines how to better understand today’s vehicle safety features, how to select and properly install car seats, and how to keep kids safe in and around vehicles.

• Purchasing With Safety in Mind brochure (PDF, 2.16 MB)
  The results of NHTSA’s crash tests, along with information about the 5-Star Safety Ratings and vehicle safety features are available in this brochure. More stars mean safer cars.

• Recall Safety Campaign Material on Trafficsafetymarketing.gov
  Every year, millions of vehicles are recalled for urgent safety defects, yet approximately 25% of them go unrepaired. You can help raise public awareness of the criticality of these recalls, the importance of checking VINs for open recalls, and getting recalls fixed FOR FREE as soon as possible.

Distracted Driving

• National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors - 2015
  (PDF, 2.89 MB) March 2018; DOT HS 812 461
  The 2015 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors (NSDDAB) is the third in a series of telephone surveys on distracted driving providing data to help further the understanding of driving behavior and to contribute to the development of countermeasures and interventions to reduce distracted driving on the nation’s roadways. Specifically, the 2015 NSDDAB assessed the extent to which drivers are distracted by various activities; demographic and typological descriptions of drivers prone to distractions; the extent and frequency of cell phone use, texting, and use of mobile device “apps” while driving; attitudes and perceptions about distracted driving; knowledge of and attitudes toward measures to deter distracted driving; perceptions about the danger of distracted driving; exposure to the consequences of distracted driving; willingness to intervene when someone is distracted while driving; and changes and trends in distracted driving behaviors and attitudes since 2010. Like the previous studies conducted in 2010 and 2012, this survey yields national estimates of behaviors and attitudes toward distracted driving in the United States. The present study used a driver typology based on the pattern of responses across multiple distracted driving behavior questions. The cluster analysis identified two distinct groups of drivers with similar overall behavioral tendencies and, among those categorized, 42% are distraction-prone and 58% are distraction-averse. Driver type is a powerful predictor of norms and attitudes toward distracted driving behavior and sanctions for distracted driving.

• Investigation and Prosecution of Distracted Driving Cases
  (PDF, 224.53 KB) May 2017; DOT HS 812 407
  This monograph provides guidance to assist State and local attorneys, other members of the judiciary, and law enforcement in prosecuting distracted driving cases that involve serious injuries or fatalities.

Speeding

• Matching Countermeasures to Driver Types and Speeding Behavior
  (PDF, 4.54 MB) September 2017; DOT HS 812 455
  This report summarizes a survey of Idaho drivers to learn more about why drivers speed and the countermeasures that might work. The study provides new insights on speeding countermeasures for various driver types and roadway situations, and compared survey self-reported speeding citations with actual driver records, providing information on driver recall and self-reporting of driving behavior.

Pedestrians

• The Effect of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance With Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws: Four-Year Follow-Up
  (PDF, 655.15 KB) January 2017; DOT HS 812 364
  This study is a follow-up to a previous study entitled High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance With Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws. The objective was to determine the extent to which the observed increases in driver yielding obtained in the previous study persisted over a follow-up period of nearly four years after the high-visibility enforcement intervention program ended.

Occupant Protection

• Occupant Restraint Use In 2016: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
  (PDF, 828 KB) January 2017; DOT HS 812 363
  This report presents results from the 2016 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study, the only nationwide probability-based occupant restraint use survey. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis conducts this survey annually. The 2016 NOPUS found that seat belt use continued to be higher for females (92.5%) than for males (88.2%). Seat belt use among female drivers increased from 90.7 percent in 2015 to 92.5 percent in 2016. Seat belt use in the rear seat (80.6%) was lower than in the front seat (90.1%).

Traffic Safety Facts

Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes as a Leading Cause of Death in the United States, 2015 (PDF, 366 KB) February 2018; DOT HS 812 499

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities For the First Nine Months (Jan–Sep) of 2017 (PDF, 522 KB) February 2018; DOT HS 812 490

Webinar - 2016 Overview, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (PDF, 1.35 MB) January 2018; DOT HS 812 482

Methodology on Identifying Fatal Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes That Occurred on Native American Reservations in the United States (PDF, 335 KB) February 2018; DOT HS 812 475

Understanding the Limitations of Drug Test Information, Reporting, and Testing Practices in Fatal Crashes (PDF, ) November 2014; DOT HS 812 072

A Comparative Analysis of State Traffic Safety Countermeasures and Implications for Progress “Toward Zero Deaths” in the United States (PDF, 442.55 KB) October 2017; DOT HS 812 392

Seat Belt Use in 2017—Overall Results (PDF, 226 KB) December 2017; DOT HS 812 465

Occupant Fatalities in Law Enforcement Vehicles Involved in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes (PDF, 773 KB) January 2018; DOT HS 812 438

Occupant Protection in Passenger Vehicles, 2016 (PDF, 558 KB) February 2018; DOT HS 812 494

State Alcohol Estimates, 2016 (PDF, 634 KB) January 2018; DOT HS 812 483

Alcohol-Impaired Driving, 2016 (PDF, 466 KB) October 2017; DOT HS 812 450

Distracted Driving, 2016 (PDF, 620 KB) April 2018; DOT HS 812 517

Teen Distracted Driving, 2016 (PDF, 150 KB) March 2018; DOT HS 812 504

Young Drivers, 2016 (PDF, 490 KB) February 2018; DOT HS 812 498

Coming Soon

Peer-to-Peer Traffic Safety Program Guide
This report provides an overview of peer-to-peer education and how it can be implemented in schools and communities to address traffic safety with young drivers.

Distracted-Driving Demonstration Projects: Lessons Learned
This guide is a summary document of the enforcement, information, education, and outreach work conducted during Distracted Driving Enforcement Demonstration Projects. Six sites across the country participated in these projects, having conducted a diverse set of enforcement activities, and documented invaluable insights, challenges, and solutions that are featured in this enforcement guide.

Innovative and Sustained Seat Belt Enforcement Project Final Report
This final report is a comprehensive review of the range of innovative, sustainable, and replicable law enforcement practices developed and implemented by the Owensboro Kentucky Police Department. The intent of this project was to increase seat belt use and decrease unrestrained vehicle occupant fatalities through the implementation of an innovative and sustained enforcement approach to seat belt enforcement. The project included education, outreach, and communication elements that contributed to the effectiveness of the project.

Implementing a Leadership Framework for Traffic Safety and Seat Belt Enforcement Final Report
This report will provide a thorough review of the diverse leadership models used to effect change as it relates to seat belt enforcement and application in three police departments - Sevier County Utah, and Bedford and Hawkins Counties, Tennessee. A toolkit/guide of the diverse approaches will be included in this report as a resource for other agencies to consider and adopt.

Drowsy Driving Data Collection and Reporting Project
This report presents the findings of NHTSA’s study to better understand the way in which law enforcement officers interact with drowsy drivers and how these interactions are recorded.

Additional Analysis of National Child Restraint Use Special Study: Child Restraint Misuse
This Research Note is the third in a series describing installation problems of child safety seats reported by the National Child Restraint Use Special Study. This report will show that in rear-facing infant and convertible seats, the most common misuses concerned: Child under 1 year old and angle of seat is 30° or less (42% of misuse cases); loose installation (seat moves 2 inches laterally, 29%); and harness slack (15%). In forward-facing car seats, the most common misuses were the following: loose installation (47%); harness slack (28%); and harness straps behind child’s arm, back, or leg (15%). In highback and backless booster seats, the most common misuses were the following: lap belt across abdomen or ribcage (59%); and shoulder belt behind arm or back (24%).

Child Passenger Safety Week will take place September 23-29, ending with National Seat Check Saturday on September 29. The 2018 earned media and social media will be available soon on trafficsafetymarketing.gov.

Teen Driver Safety Week is October 21-27. The 2018 earned media and social media will be available soon on trafficsafetymarketing.gov.