Data released last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed highway crash fatalities in the U.S. down 2.2 percent for the first 9 months of 2019 compared to the first 9 months of 2018. An estimated 26,730 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes through September 30, making the third quarter of 2019 the eighth consecutive year-to-year quarterly decline in fatalities since the fourth quarter of 2017.

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 115 people may be killed on the roadways during the Christmas holiday driving period, and an additional 163 may be killed during the New Year’s holiday driving period. That number would likely be significantly higher if not for seat belts. This low-tech, highly effective motor vehicle safety feature is estimated to save 245 lives over the same driving periods.

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 417 people may die and another 47,500 may be seriously injured in car crashes on U.S. roads this Thanksgiving holiday period. Holidays traditionally are a time of travel for families across the United States. Many choose car travel, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile.

State and local governments and metro planning organizations are among the entities who can apply for up to half a million dollars each to use in developing, refining, and deploying safety tools that address specific roadway safety problems. The funds – which will be disbursed by the U.S. Department of Transportation – are intended to help the awardees use innovative data tools and information to improve roadway safety.

Many of us already drive personal or company vehicles with automated features such as lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. While automation clearly improves safety, it also presents new issues for safety professionals. Companies need to integrate policies on vehicles with automated features into their current fleet safety management systems.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® – which officially runs through Sunday – is timed for just after most Americans change their clocks for a return to standard time from Daylight Savings Time. Although the fall adjustment gives people an extra hour, it’s only for one night, and still leaves us struggling to cope with a new sleep schedule.

Better roadway design, making bicyclists more visible and head protection are what’s needed to reduce the number of fatal and serious crashes involving motor vehicles and bicycles, said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during a public meet this week. In the NTSB’s first examination of bicyclist safety on U.S. roadways since its last report on this topic in 1972, the agency said critical changes were needed to address the recent rise in fatal bicycle crashes involving motor vehicles, even as overall traffic deaths fell in 2018.

With crowds of trick-or-treaters expected in neighborhoods around the country, the National Safety Council (NSC) urges caution for everyone out on the roads during the Halloween holiday. Most crash-related pedestrian fatalities occur when it is dark, according to NHTSA, and pedestrian deaths spike Halloween night. Increased pedestrian traffic, alcohol consumption and lower visibility because of costumes and masks, as well as shorter daylight hours, increase the risk of crashes or incidents.

Fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents on U.S. highways decreased by 2.4 percent last year, according to data released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It was the second consecutive year of reduced crash fatalities.