As the number of pedestrians struck and killed by drivers continues a decade-long trend in the wrong direction during the pandemic, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and its State Highway Safety Office (SHSO) members are marking the second annual National Pedestrian Safety Month this October by taking steps to address the behavioral safety issues […]
Fatality Data Show Increased Traffic Fatalities During Pandemic in 2020
Risky driving behaviors including failure to wear a seatbelt, speeding, and drinking while driving identified as contributing factors. While Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, NHTSA’s early estimates show that an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes—the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007. This represents an increase of […]
Pedestrian Deaths Soar in 2020 Despite Drop in Driving During Pandemic
Projected fatality rate for people walking spiked 21% for largest ever year-over-year increase as dangerous driving and traffic violence plagued U.S. roads. New data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) projects that 2020 had the largest ever annual increase in the rate at which drivers struck and killed people on foot. What drove this […]
U.S. Pedestrian Death Rate in 2020 on Pace for Record High Despite Significant Drop in Driving
A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) projects that the U.S. pedestrian fatality rate rose 20% in the first six months of 2020 as speeding, distracted and impaired driving, and other dangerous driving behaviors increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. GHSA’s annual Spotlight on Highway Safety offers the first comprehensive look at state […]
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Partners with Governor’s Highway Safety Association and National Road Safety Foundation to Pilots to Reduce Speeding
After rise in speeding during pandemic, groups launch initiatives to slow drivers down. Three national roadway safety organizations — the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) — are partnering to fund and evaluate pilot projects by two states to reduce speeding. Maryland and Virginia […]
Governors Highway Safety Association Report on Distracted Driving Deaths Increase Identifies Need to Strengthen Laws and Enforcement
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) today announced the release of the inaugural Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP) report, Using Electronic Devices While Driving: Legislation and Enforcement Implications, published this morning by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) and funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration […]
New Report Details Teen Driver Speeding Impact on Fatalities
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), in partnership with Ford Motor Company Fund, today released a new report that examines the significant role speeding plays in teen driver fatalities and offers practical tools to help parents rein in this lethal driving habit. The new analysis for GHSA found that from 2015 to 2019, teen drivers […]
States Announce More Aggressive Drunk and Drugged Driving Holiday Safety Campaign Due to Pandemic
Despite fewer drivers on the road this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, states have tracked a disturbing uptick in many risky driving behaviors. To address this challenge, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and its members, the state highway safety offices (SHSOs), joined with federal officials, MADD and the International Association of Chiefs of […]
2019 Fatality Data Show Continued Annual Decline in Traffic Deaths
Second quarter 2020 projections show reduced overall fatalities but confirms trend toward risky driving behaviors during coronavirus crisis. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a preview of 2019 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and preliminary estimates for the first half of 2020. Alongside the release of the 2019 […]
Absent Traffic Jams, Many Drivers Getting More Reckless
Emptier streets may be encouraging some drivers to flaunt traffic safety laws, including speed limits. Despite there being far fewer vehicles on the road due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, state highway safety officials across the country are seeing a severe spike in speeding. Many states have reported alarming speed increases, with some noting a significant […]