Record low traffic deaths encourage continued road safety efforts

Today, I am very pleased to announce that in 2010 the number of traffic fatalities in America fell to the lowest levels since 1949.  

This drop comes despite a sharp increase in the number of miles Americans drove last year - 21 billion additional miles. In addition, the rate of road fatalities in the U.S. has also dropped to its lowest level since 1949. Over the last five years, traffic deaths have declined by 25 percent.

This is thanks to the combined efforts of DOT, states, law enforcement, safety organizations, and America's drivers who are taking personal responsibility for their driving habits. Overall, in 2010, the number of deaths fell three percent to 32,788.  And the rate of fatalities per million miles traveled fell to 1.09 from 1.13 in 2009.

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Despite this good news, we are not going to rest on our laurels. That's because the number of people killed in preventable roadway tragedies is simply too high; 30,000 deaths is 30,000 too many.  And if you lost a loved one to a crash in 2010, or know someone who did, then you know exactly what I mean.

This Department will not stop pressing forward on road safety. We will continue working vigorously to protect the lives of everyone who uses our roadways.

Our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has worked tirelessly to improve vehicle safety on several fronts:

• Urging automakers to swiftly and voluntarily report safety defects.
• Encouraging crash-prevention technologies like electronic stability control, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning systems.
• Unveiling an updated 5-star rating system with more rigorous crash-test standards and improved consumer information about which cars perform best in collisions. 

And NHTSA will continue successful enforcement efforts like Click It Or Ticket, Over The Limit Under Arrest, and our distracted driving initiative, Phone in One Hand Ticket In The Other.  I want to particularly thank America's law enforcement professionals for their hard work on these fronts.  I know they have a lot of other important jobs to do, but we also know that good laws work best when combined with good enforcement.

Public education efforts like our distracted driving website, distraction.gov. and the heartbreaking stories in our "Faces of Distracted Driving" video series have also helped.  Through these initiatives, I hope Americans are getting the message that when we put the keys in the ignition we need to put our devices away.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the good work at the Federal Highway Administration in promoting Safety Edge and rumble strips to keep drivers from crossing the center line or driving off the road. Our Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is also working hard to ensure the safety of commercial trucks and buses, which can cause devastating losses of life if they are involved in an accident due to their sheer size.

Look, of all the missions of the Department of Transportation, nothing is more important--no priority is higher--than protecting the lives of our friends and neighbors.  That's why NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said, “We will continue pressing forward on all of our safety initiatives to make sure our roads are as safe as they can possibly be.”

And that's why, as pleased as I am with the direction traffic fatality statistics are moving, and as proud as I am of the work this Department does, I know we will not rest.

Comments

[Ed]

Record low traffic deaths very good news indeed. I like the video - "Packaging 101" LOL. Here is Australia, the Blood Alcohol limit is .05, but that doesn't seem discourage drink driving.

[Donald Tisthammer]

This is great news but I can't help but wonder how many more deaths we could have avoided if President Obama, John Mica, Ray LaHood, Congress, Senate, and every state would help by doing eveyrthing possible to reduce deadhead miles in freight transportation?

According to 2002 FHWA stats 20% of freight miles were deadhead miles, empty trucks. I would post FHWA the link but it doesn't seem to matter, DOT never prints my posts anyway?

It's clear the number of deaths were based on miles traveled, And the rate of fatalities per million miles traveled fell to 1.09 from 1.13 in 2009. If we then take the total number for freight miles and do the math showing 5%, 10%, 15% or any percentage we we can estimate ho wmanylives we can save by reducing deadhead miles in freight transportation. Estimate!

Now take into condsideration President Obama is all about energy independence whihch now seems to have been upgraded to energy security and do the math on fuel, emissions, and other costs I find it odd that I can get no response from President Obama or Ray LaHood for over a year now?

I could put up a lot of numbers but it seems to be a waste of time because the DOT refuses to post this information?

I find it extremely disturbing the DOT is this upbeat about the number of lives saved yet refuses top print or help in reducing the freight miles and death no doubt a product of thos emiles?

I also find it odd in that so many independent motor carriers go under, we already have a driver, equipment shortage, fuel prices are going up, food and everything else, almost all of which is moved on trucks at some point also continue to go up, traffic congestion, lost time, emissions, accidents, infrastructure costs, cargo theft, and more could all be help down whil ecreating jobs?

Can the DOT please help me to understand how we can not be looking at all these facts, numbers I would be happy to produce, and many of these facts are government facts, FMCSA, FHWA, or nonprofit, Transportation of America, American Society of Civil Engineers, Chamber of Coomerce and others.

If the DOT refuses to print or respond to facts of this nature and a taxpayer who as President suggest want's to hear from I believe the people should have some sort of explanation?

[Highway Driver]

Secretary Ray LaHood you will be in the Lehigh Valley on Monday April 4th to discuss gas pipeline safety. I think it would be a great disservice to the residents of the Lehigh Valley if you do not also meet with PennDOT, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and other elected officials to discuss the future funding and reconstruction of Route 22, Section 400 widening and safety improvement project.

This section of highway carries over 100,000 vehicles a day and is used by many to get to valuable jobs in all corners of the Valley. There were 4 fatalities in this one section and it continues to be the site of near daily accidents that cause injury, property damage, and substantial adverse economic impact.

The Route 22 and Route 145 intersection is the busiest intersection in the entire Lehigh Valley carrying upwards of 146,000 vehicles a day. The Retail District in this area is a significant source of revenue for Lehigh County and the Commonwealth. On a seemingly uneventful weekend it is not uncommon for exit traffic for Route 145 to back up onto driving lanes of Route 22 placing countless LIVES at RISK.

PennDOTs current design plan is substandard, does nothing to resolve underfit ramps, calls for the elimination of a vital overpass, fails to meet Federal Highway Standards, and was downsized to divert funding to other projects. We deserve better than that. Our Jobs, Lives, and Economic Sustainablity depend on it.

If we can consider constructing a “new” $80M Bridges for 15 to 20K vehicles a day, surely comparable Federal Funding should be directed at the Route 22 Section 400 project that benefits 100,000 vehicles a day.

As US Transportation Secretary, I trust you, your Department and the Obama Administration will give this matter the attention it deserves.