Contact: Shane Austin
[email protected]
202.425.2776
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), on New Research Showing Massive Benefits of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) to Society
(Washington, D.C.-December 17, 2024) Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a set of studies showing over 860,000 lives saved and 49 million nonfatal injuries prevented by FMVSSs from 1968-2019. These studies confirm the vitally important role that NHTSA and the safety standards they issue play in safeguarding road users. It is also precisely why Advocates has championed these data-driven safety standards since our inception in 1989 and continues to do so.
Our 2025 Roadmap to Safety report illustrates the huge cost to society from motor vehicle crashes, now estimated to be at least $417 billion per year. Also highlighted is the progress made through NHTSA’s action on safety standards this year, including the release of the Final Rule requiring automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection for new passenger vehicles beginning in 2029. Additionally, yesterday NHTSA released the Final Rule requiring seat belt reminders for rear and front seat passengers.
However, many other Congressionally-mandated, overdue, lifesaving rules need to be completed including AEB for large trucks, technology to prevent tragic “hot car” deaths among children and impaired driving prevention technology, among others. With fatalities and injuries at historic highs on our roadways, proven solutions must not be ignored. While many tragedies and financial costs have been prevented by FMVSSs in the past five decades, much more work is needed to get every road user home safely after every trip.
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About Advocates
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, medical, public health, law enforcement and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America’s roads safer. Advocates’ mission is the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives, reduce injuries, and contain costs.