Recent Streetsblog USA posts about NHTSA

NHTSA Chief David Strickland Gets Caught in the Revolving Door

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 10, 2014 | 5 Comments

When David Strickland announced last month that he was stepping down as the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, he didn’t give any clues about where he might be going. The news came out this week: The nation’s top auto regulator is going to be a lobbyist at a law firm that deals […]

It’s Official: 33,561 People Killed in Traffic on American Streets Last Year

By Tanya Snyder | Nov 14, 2013 | 50 Comments

The official 2012 death toll is out for our nation’s poorly-designed, auto-centric transportation system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic injuries on the nation’s roadways claimed the lives of 33,561 people. The headline of the agency’s press release, “NHTSA Data Confirms Traffic Fatalities Increased In 2012,” is quickly walked back by the subhed, […]

U.S. DOT Launches “Everyone Is a Pedestrian” Campaign

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 6, 2013 | 17 Comments

UPDATED 5:43 p.m. with more details from NHTSA on eligible grant activities. Yesterday, U.S. DOT launched a new campaign called “Everyone Is a Pedestrian,” including $2 million in grants that will be awarded to as many as six focus cities for pedestrian safety education and enforcement initiatives. While $2 million is peanuts in the grand scheme […]

Pretty Please: U.S. DOT Asks Carmakers to Limit Onboard Distractions

By Tanya Snyder | Apr 25, 2013 | 6 Comments

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s signature issue has been distracted driving. He’s spent the last four years amplifying the heartbreaking voices of those who have suffered the consequences of this highly dangerous habit. The stories of the needless loss of so many people, especially children and teens, are tragic. Clearly, it’s time to take decisive action to stop […]

Lawmakers Fret About Impact of Budget Cuts on Transit

By Tanya Snyder | Mar 14, 2013 | 2 Comments

“In 2014, federal investment in surface transportation — which is currently about $50 billion per year — will drop to $6 billion or $7 billion. In one year.” Those were the dire words spoken by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) at the start of this morning’s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on MAP-21. What he meant […]

In New NHTSA Report, Scarce Information on Causes of Pedestrian Deaths

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 7, 2012 | 7 Comments

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported last December that while overall traffic fatalities in the United States dropped in 2010, pedestrian deaths rose higher – up four percent in 2010 over 2009. Yesterday, the agency released some more detailed statistics about those crashes [PDF], but the report includes scarcely any data or analysis about the underlying […]