Speed Prevention National Campaign Kickoff

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

Good morning. I’m Jonathan Morrison, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. 

Thank you for joining us today at the Nashville Superspeedway for the launch of NHTSA’s annual national campaign, Speeding Catches Up With You. 

While speed is celebrated here on this track, it can have devastating consequences on our roads. This year’s launch brings together government, law enforcement, motorsports, and victim advocates to deliver a unified message: speeding belongs on the track, not on neighborhood streets or highways. 

Summer is a time for vacations and road trips, and that is even more true this year as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this weekend. A road trip isn’t just about the destination; it’s about the ride and all the things you’ll find on the way. But if you’re speeding, you may miss out – or you just might never arrive at all.

That’s because Speeding Catches Up With You. It’s just plain physics. Speeding reduces reaction times and dramatically increases crash forces. When you go from 30 mph to 60 mph, you quadruple the amount of crash forces. Even advancements in vehicle safety and occupant protection cannot keep people safe from the dangers of speeding. 

Speeding is stressful, unlawful, inconsiderate to other drivers, and it makes you a danger to yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road. We all share the road, so slow down, enjoy the ride, and get to your destination safely. 

Throughout the summer, and throughout the year, we want everyone to stay safe, drive responsibly, and make treasured memories together. Our campaign runs July 6-31 and is supported by an $8 million national media buy featuring English and Spanish-language ads for TV, radio and digital platforms. 

While NHTSA runs its information and education campaign this month, states across the country will enforce speed limits more actively, targeting aggressive driving and excessive speed. We’re proud to work in sync with regional high-visibility enforcement campaigns including “New England, Drive to Save Lives” “Great Lakes, High Stakes,” and “Operation Southern Slow Down,” the latter of which includes the great state of Tennessee. 

Speeding plays a role in nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities. But more than that, speeders are statistically more likely to be unlicensed, impaired, or unbuckled. To move the needle in the correct direction, we are focused on a clear, realistic target: stopping the most dangerous, excessive speeders. 

Let’s be realistic: most Americans drive at or slightly above the posted limit, and our roads are generally engineered for that flow. While we’d love to improve on this, we are laser-focused on the drivers who treat our public roads like racetracks. 

There is simply no excuse for anyone to drive 30, 40, or 50 miles over the posted limit. These super speeders aren’t just in a hurry; they are endangering every family on the road. NHTSA fully supports significant fines and jail time for such offenses to ensure there are real, life-altering consequences for these high-risk choices. 

The consequences of choosing to speed can be devastating. Because speeding IS a choice. It’s a choice to be irresponsible, to break the law, and to risk hurting yourself or innocent people sharing the road with you. 

We do see some positive news. Early estimates for 2025 show speeding-related fatal crashes were down 11%, year over year. As a percentage of all fatal crashes, those linked to speed declined slightly, to 27% from 28% in 2024. And as we see additional traffic enforcement taking place on our roads, we expect to see this improve further. 

On that note, allow me to make some news. Today, we are releasing new data from the first three months of this year that show additional encouraging trends. In the first quarter of 2026, we estimate that 7,770 people lost their lives in traffic crashes– down by 4.3 percent compared to the same period last year. 

Critically, for the first time in years, the traffic fatality rate has dropped below a critical milestone: at 0.99 fatalities per 100 million miles driven, we’re just above our record low of 0.98 from 15 years ago. This is the second-lowest first quarter fatality rate in our nation’s history.
Importantly, this isn’t just happening in one pocket of the country, either. Eight out of ten regions across the nation, spanning 30 states and Puerto Rico, are seeing these numbers move in the right direction. 

And we didn’t achieve this by driving less. In fact, Americans drove 11 billion more miles in the first three months of this year than they did last year. We are traveling more yet dying less. 

Now, these are still preliminary estimates. The data will be refined and updated over the coming months and into next year. But the trend is in the right direction. Our roads are getting safer and the choices we are making—as drivers, as policymakers, as law enforcers and communities—are working. 

But, we have much more work still ahead of us. Far too many lives are lost every year because of the choice to speed, and that’s why we need everyone to do their part and slow down. 

At NHTSA, we’re stepping up the fight against high-speed driving. We’re supporting states like Tennessee, which last year received nearly $16 million in highway safety grants that can be used to support traffic enforcement, drug and alcohol testing devices, training, and data collection. 

We’re fully supporting the heroic and lifesaving work of our law enforcement agencies and encouraging them to do more traffic enforcement to catch speeders – not just in July but all year round. We’re supporting new technologies including AI-powered enforcement aids, dynamic speed feedback signs, and school bus stop-arm cameras to add an additional layer of protection to our highest risk roadways. We are exploring the potential use of mobile telematics and speed interlock technologies as part of state programs, specifically for chronic, excessive speeders. 

By using data to identify the “worst of the worst,” we can make our roads safer for everyone. 

To wrap up, today we’re asking the driving public – this summer, and all year round – to slow down. Speeding can get you nowhere fast, and irresponsible driving is stressful and dangerous. 

Don’t let the decision to speed keep you from reaching your destination safely, and don’t risk the lives of others on your road. 

Let’s make this summer one to remember for all the right reasons. Whether on your way to one of our nation’s glorious national parks and historic sites, or to a NASCAR race, or just going to work or school, slow down and enjoy the ride.  

I’d like to thank our speakers, everyone here in Nashville, and our virtual audience for your time and interest today. 

Thank you again, and please stay safe.