WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Safety Council is devastated, though unsurprised, by the fatality estimates released Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The estimates confirm the continued crisis on our roadways, with 9,560 people estimated to have lost their lives in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 7% from the same period in 2021 and the highest number of fatalities for Q1 since 2002.
Unfortunately, this is only the latest evidence of how deadly our roadways have become. NSC, with its partners in the Road to Zero Coalition, has identified how we can move the needle on safety—doubling down on proven countermeasures and interventions, supporting the adoption and implementation of life-saving technology and prioritizing safety through a Safe System approach. Our country needs this three-pillar strategy to be met with dedication, leadership, and a willingness to create change at all levels of decision-making in order for us to reach our shared goal of zero traffic deaths. NSC calls on President Biden to quickly nominate someone to provide that leadership for NHTSA and urges the Senate to prioritize the confirmation process of the person selected.
“Today’s fatality estimates confirm our suspicions that traffic violence continues to plague communities across the U.S.,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. “We must not lose sight of the fact that this number represents family members, friends, and neighbors whose lives were tragically lost too soon. We have an obligation to them and their loved ones to confront this issue with decisive action.”
NSC shares the frustration we know many traffic safety advocates and stakeholders are feeling today. However, we cannot afford to be discouraged in our efforts to create safer streets for all roadway users. Today’s numbers are a reminder our work is far from over and NSC is committed to working together to find ways to address this ongoing national crisis.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
