GHSA Conference Opening General Session Remarks

As Prepared for Delivery

Thank you so much, Barbara Rooney, for that very kind introduction. It’s great to see you again and to be back at GHSA’s Annual Meeting. We value our longstanding collaborative partnership with GHSA and appreciate all that you do in support of our shared safety mission.

This annual meeting is always a highlight for the entire NHTSA team, and we had a very robust, productive discussion at yesterday’s town hall. I also want to recognize the leadership of Jonathan Adkins, who is a champion of traffic safety. Thank you for all that you do to support state highway safety offices and the people working every day to make our streets safer for all road users. That’s all of you – the hundreds of traffic safety professionals from across the country gathered here in this room.

NHTSA appreciates your hard work, your commitment to saving lives, and your efforts to meet new requirements and deadlines. The work you do matters, and know that you’re making a lifesaving difference in your communities. I hope you’ll take advantage of your time here to share, learn, ask, and make connections that will benefit you for years to come.

And that’s more important than ever, as the past few years have brought a lot of changes. Changes in our society, changes in the way we work, and certainly changes in traffic safety and risky driving behaviors.

This conference’s theme is “Traffic Safety at a Crossroads,” and it’s fitting that we’re here in Indianapolis, the Crossroads of America. Because we collectively have a lot of decisions to make to determine which path we take. The path back to the status quo, or continuing on a path toward a future with zero traffic deaths.

The decisions we make together in the coming months and years will determine the future of traffic safety and whether we all make the systemic culture changes needed to save countless lives.

The path that NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation have chosen is a wholehearted embrace of the safe system approach. It’s the foundation of the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which you all know well. Many cities and states have adopted the safe system approach too, because it’s a holistic way to address the fatality epidemic on our roads.

The safe system approach is much more than a rebranding. At its heart, the safe system approach is about being proactive and inclusive, bringing everyone to the table to coordinate and collaborate on solutions.

And it all begins with data. Data tell us what’s working, where the problems lie, and what trends warrant comprehensive, effective countermeasures. NHTSA is all about data. It’s the lifeblood of everything we do and at the heart of every decision we make.

Thanks to the hard work from the states, we’ve been able to analyze and release data faster than ever, allowing us all to make data-driven decisions. And last week, we released our latest data from the first half of 2024.

We are projecting that an estimated 18,720 people died in traffic crashes in the first six months of the year. That would be a 3.2 percent decrease from the same time in 2023, or 610 fewer deaths – that’s 610 lives saved. The second quarter of 2024 is the ninth consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities, a decline that began in the second quarter of 2022. This is encouraging news and comes as traffic continues to increase.

Vehicle miles traveled increased by about 13.1 billion miles in the first six months of the year, or about a 0.8 percent increase. And that means that the fatality rate also continues to decline, falling to an estimated 1.17 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

The news from our states is also encouraging, as we estimate that 31 states and Puerto Rico decreased as compared to the first half of 2023. While this is an improvement from the fatality highs of 2021, it’s still almost 1,700 fatalities above the same time period in 2019.

We are encouraged that the numbers continue to go down, but we still have so much more to do. One life lost is one too many, and the only acceptable number is zero.

NHTSA is focused on leveraging Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources to make our data collection even faster and more relevant for us, for states, and for all safety stakeholders.

Electronic data transfer allows states to transmit data to us more seamlessly, thus making it possible for us to share data with the public faster than ever.

We are expanding this transfer through our State Electronic Data Collection discretionary grants, which are currently under review. We are very pleased with the response our Notice of Funding Opportunity received and are working as quickly as possible to complete our reviews and get these critical grant funds to qualified recipients as soon as possible.

We are also expanding the Crash Investigation Sampling System, adding eight new sampling sites for our 2024 data collection. Adding new sites increases our crash sample size, improving the quantity of the estimates and ensuring crash types are captured in sufficient numbers. This brings us up to 40 sites in all. We also added non-motorist crashes to the collection for the first time, expanding our understanding of crashes involving vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people using wheelchairs. Future plans include adding more sampling sites, as well as motorcycle and large truck crashes.

These improvements, and your continued support, will continue to help us deliver quality, timely data to inform all of our decision-making. Many states are also enhancing their data programs, and I want to highlight just a few of these. Please know that this is only a few examples of all of the great work underway, and there are more I would highlight if I had more time!

New Jersey created a data warehouse to analyze population-level data, helping them understand these differences and design targeted interventions and policies. Hawaii is using geospatial data to provide crucial insights into crashes and better understand sociodemographic factors, which informs their traffic safety messaging. And Minnesota is using data integration to support informed, robust decision-making.

Data is a vital component of the safe system approach, which seeks to change our culture when it comes to crashes and fatalities. Traffic fatalities are not inevitable. More than 40,000 people should not die on our roads every single year. They should not be just a normal, accepted part of life. Traffic fatalities can and should be prevented.

Acknowledging the problem and setting big goals like Vision Zero – supported by proven effective and innovative countermeasures – are critical to changing the culture and the way the public thinks about road fatalities.

One way to do this is to clearly communicate the crisis on our roads. Risky driving behaviors like distraction and impairment are preventable. Speeding puts everyone at risk, especially people outside the vehicle. And fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists are at record highs. That’s why it’s so important to educate the public about their traffic safety responsibilities and create that traffic safety culture.

California is bringing the community into the conversation through its Go Human Community Hubs Grant Program and Traffic Safety Champions, which use community-based actions to create a strong traffic safety culture.

Community engagement is key to addressing trends and problem areas. Talk to the people involved – asking for their input and listening will help make sure your programs are connecting with the people most affected.

Meaningful public participation and engagement should be an ongoing effort and an essential part of your program. It shouldn’t be limited to just your triennial highway safety plan. Instead, it’s a new way of thinking that involves taking a deep dive into your data to understand impacts at the community level. Then, you go out and meaningfully connect and engage with the affected communities to develop and implement strategies to spur behavioral changes and save lives.

State highway safety offices are embracing this new requirement and making meaningful changes to their programs, and I applaud you for seeing this as the opportunity that it is.

Utah, for example, created a community engagement specialist position to strengthen collaboration with local communities. And Georgia hired a public participation and engagement coordinator.

We encourage you to bring everyone to the table, not just the usual stakeholders. Find and listen to fresh voices, underrepresented communities, people who may never be asked for their opinion. Los Angeles is working with the YMCA to improve occupant protection throughout the state. They’re using culturally relevant programming and materials to distribute car seats, offer seat checks, and educate parents and caregivers about the importance of buckling up. Programs like these work because they are meaningful and relevant to the community.

Embrace countermeasures and effective programs, tailor them to your audience, and look for ways to freshen them up. You can import ideas from other cities and states and tweak them to address your specific traffic safety trends.

North Carolina has done this through their Vision Zero program, offering communities training, education and assistance to address their local, unique safety problems. And Kansas is supporting their Drive to Zero Coalition by creating a first responder liaison to build bridges between law enforcement and emergency medical services.

NHTSA is committed to providing you with resources and countermeasures that work, including our behavioral safety campaigns. We just wrapped up our Labor Day Drive Sober high-visibility campaign, and I want to thank all of you for amplifying this lifesaving message. We continue to support high-visibility campaigns to educate drivers about the importance of traffic laws and support officers in their equitable enforcement of these laws.

I’d like to recognize the states and regions that amplified our July speeding prevention campaign by tying it to Route 66. Fifty-seven events were organized all along the historic highway, reminding drivers to slow down and enjoy the ride. By connecting with the culture and history of the famed Route 66, regional offices and states engaged with more than 100 partners, including national parks, historically Black colleges and universities, law enforcement, and more to expand the reach of this important safety campaign. We hope to see this approach replicated with other campaigns in the coming years.

We also encourage everyone to look for opportunities to integrate equity into safety campaigns and law enforcement countermeasures. Please consider applying for our Section 1906 Racial Profiling Data Collection Grants and Section 405(i) Driver and Officer Safety Programs, which provide important resources to improve data collection and transparency, conduct public outreach, and offer training to reduce the negative impacts of traffic stops.

Many communities are also looking at ways to enforce laws without direct officer involvement, like speed safety cameras. Just like other means of enforcement, it’s critical that these cameras be deployed equitably and with safety, not revenue generation, at the forefront. For jurisdictions that choose to use speed safety traffic cameras, we recently issued a Speed Safety Camera Guide with best practices to plan, deploy, and operate these programs.

All of these actions and state examples support a safe system approach and the department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and its five objectives – safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds and post-crash care.

Speaking of post-crash care, NHTSA is always examining new research and findings to help improve crash survivability. Military research shows that administering blood transfusions in the field, before arriving at the hospital, can greatly improve a patient’s chances of survival.

Prehospital whole blood programs are available in limited areas across the country, and NHTSA is working to develop a framework for expanding this in a traffic safety context. We look forward to sharing more with you once this process is complete.

In my remaining few minutes, I’d like to touch very briefly on safer vehicles. I know this is of interest to you all, and there are several workshops on this topic.

NHTSA is making outstanding progress on many key safety regulations, first and foremost being our new automatic emergency braking safety standard. This new rule will require all new cars and light trucks to have automatic emergency braking, or AEB, and pedestrian AEB by September 2029. You may be familiar with AEB from your own vehicle and may have experienced how the technology can prevent a crash when a vehicle in front of you stops suddenly.

AEB is mature enough for us to require it in all new cars and light trucks, and we know it will save lives. It will also help protect pedestrians, as we’re requiring AEB to be able to detect them in both daylight and at dark. We project that this new standard will save at least 360 lives a year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

We want to see AEB expanded to other vehicle classes too, and we’re working with our colleagues at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to finalize a requirement for AEB in heavy vehicles, as well.

I’m also pleased to share that we are proposing a new rule this morning that would improve pedestrian safety by reducing fatalities and serious injuries. The proposed rule would establish a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requiring new passenger vehicles be designed to reduce the risk of serious-to-fatal injuries in child and adult pedestrian crashes. And it would apply to vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, including trucks, SUVs, crossovers and vans. We’ll be accepting public comment for 60 days, and we would like to hear from all safety stakeholders, including you.

We are also finishing work on our upgrades to the New Car Assessment Program, including a pedestrian protection program. NCAP has led the way in incentivizing automakers to improve safety features, and it helps consumers make educated decisions when buying a new or used vehicle for their families. We look forward to publishing these upgrades in the coming months.

All of these rulemakings, initiatives, and state and local programs work together to create a safer system for all road users.

Traffic safety is far too complex for any one of us to solve alone, but by learning from each other, we can collectively make such a difference.

I appreciate all that you do every day to save lives, and the passion and dedication that you bring to this important work. Thank you for embracing the safe system approach and new ways of thinking to address the crossroads we find ourselves at in traffic safety.

Every person who uses our roads, no matter if they drive, walk, bike, ride, or roll, deserves to arrive home to their loved ones safe and sound at the end of every day. Let us make the choices necessary, informed by the safe system approach, to change the way everyone sees traffic fatalities. They are not inevitable – they are preventable.

We need you, our partners in highway safety, to help change this culture and save countless lives. We can’t do it without you, and I thank you for joining us in this fight.

Thank you having me here today, and I wish you a very successful annual meeting and a safe journey home.