Today, February 3, 2023, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg issued a Roadway Safety Call to Action with the goal of making roads and highways safer for all users. This call to action encourages local and state governments, transportation directors, and community stakeholders to share best practices and create innovative safety solutions that can save lives across America.
USDOT has identified four key goals they believe will help reduce the number of fatalities on our roadways:
- Eliminating impaired driving
- Increasing seat belt usage
- Reducing distracted driving
- Improving pedestrian and cyclist safety
The USDOT provides several resources for transportation directors in order to facilitate their participation in this call to action. These include tools such as the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which provides states with the funding required for infrastructure projects that focus on improving roadway safety; the Roadway Safety Data Toolbox, which provides access to data sets related to roadway safety; and the Roadway Safety Professional Capacity Building Program (PCBP), which provides training opportunities for professionals working in the field of roadway safety.
The USDOT has also partnered with a variety of organizations such as The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and National Safe Routes Partnerships in order to ensure that their call is heard loud and clear by all stakeholders involved in roadway safety initiatives.
The USDOT is serious about improving roadway safety across our nation, which is why they have issued this Roadway Safety Call To Action. By coming together and sharing best practices, transportation directors have a powerful tool at their disposal that can help them create innovative solutions designed specifically for their individual states or communities. It’s time we work together towards a common goal of eliminating preventable deaths from our roadways once and for all. Click the button below to join the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) with your very own Commit to Action: