The U.S. Department of Transportation released an update on its National Roadway Safety Strategy, which was originally published in January.
The department also shared a new online dashboard that allows both stakeholders and the general public to track their progress on commitments related to the NRSS, according to an Oct. 14 news release. The update arrives as U.S. traffic fatalities are at their highest levels in 16 years.
“At a time when it is safer to fly across the country than it is to walk across town, we must all act to address the crisis on our nation’s roadways,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release. “With new resources from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are taking critical steps to save lives on our roadways.”
The NRSS includes a roadmap for addressing the national crises of roadway fatalities and serious injuries, according to the release. Approximately 95% of the nation's transportation deaths occur on its streets, roads and highways.
Although the number of annual roadway fatalities had declined for many years, progress leveled off the last decade before fatalities began to rise during the pandemic, the release reported. Backed by President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the NRSS is the DOT's first step toward eventually reaching zero roadway fatalities.
