The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in the first half of 2022, there were 20,125 fatal motor vehicle traffic accidents. The second quarter of 2022, which runs from April to June, is expected to see a decline in that figure.
"Although it is heartening to see a projected decline in roadway deaths in recent months, the number of people dying on roads in this country remains a crisis," NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said.
After seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases in fatalities, the NHTSA projects to see the first decline in fatalities that began in the third quarter of 2020, but an increase of about 0.5% in deaths from 2021 to 2022.
"Traffic deaths appear to be declining for the first time since 2020, but they are still at high levels that call for urgent and sustained action. These deaths are preventable, not inevitable, and we should act accordingly," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. "Safety is our guiding mission at the Department of Transportation, and we will redouble our efforts to reduce the tragic number of deaths on our nation’s roads."
Earlier this year, The National Roadway Safety Strategy was unveiled by Secretary Buttigieg in an effort to reach the long-term goal of zero roadway fatalities by reducing serious injuries and deaths on highways, roads and streets. The National Roadway Safety Strategy will be funded through President Biden’s Infrastructure Law.
To gather additional information about collisions that take place while automated driving and advanced driver assistance systems are activated, NHTSA has issued a Standing General Order.
Two of the regions, NHTSA Regions 3 and 9, had their projections updated. Region 3's projected death rate for the first quarter of 2022 was reduced, but Region 9's forecasts were increased. The projections for the other regions had a few modest adjustments. The anticipated fatalities for the country as a whole were not altered as a result of this.
According to the NHTSA, the USDOT has started to work on a number of different action items in the NRSS.
Action items include:
- In May, the Federal Highway Administration issued Complete Streets guidance and is encouraging states to develop complete streets using the formula funding delivered through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- In March, NHTSA issued a request for comment to propose significant upgrades to the New Car Assessment Program, in part by proposing to add four more advanced driver assistance system technologies to those NHTSA already recommends. These new technologies would include blind spot detection, blind spot intervention, lane keeping assistance and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. The notice also describes the roadmap of the agency’s plans to update NCAP in phases over the next ten years to potentially incorporate consideration of the vehicle’s safety features for people walking or biking around the car.
- In June, NHTSA issued a final rulemaking on rear impact guards for trailers and semitrailers.
- USDOT issued a notice of funding opportunity for $1 billion for the first year of the brand-new Safe Streets and Roads for All program funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
