Contact: Shane Austin
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Roadmap to Safety Report Rates States on Laws to Prevent Crashes, Fatalities and Injuries and Outlines Comprehensive Plan to Address Public Health Crisis
With 116 people killed on our nation’s roadways every day, leaders at all levels of government must urgently use available solutions to save lives.
(Washington, D.C. | December 5, 2024) Today, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) was joined by a state lawmaker, crash survivors, law enforcement, and consumer and insurance leaders to release the 2025 Roadmap to Safety (Report). This comprehensive tool provides a guide for state legislatures, Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to address the tragic number of deaths and injuries on U.S. roadways. In 2022, the most recent year with finalized statistics, more than 42,500 people were killed in crashes and an additional 2.38 million were injured. Preliminary numbers for 2023 and the first half of 2024 remain historically high. Speeding, red light running, impaired driving, distractions and not buckling up are contributing to these devastating figures; however, proven solutions are available to end the nightmare playing out on our nation’s roadways.
Advocates and safety partners call on state and federal leaders to implement the strategies outlined in this Report.
Advocates also released a new public opinion poll conducted after the recent election. It shows that a strong majority of Americans are concerned with roadway safety, regardless of region, age range and political party affiliation. The poll also shows that while the public does not know the magnitude of the problem caused by motor vehicle crashes, they have a definite and deep understanding about leading dangers on our roadways.
Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety: “Every day in the U.S., millions of people get behind the wheel, commuting to work or school, carpooling kids to music lessons or athletic events, or going to the market or a local hardware store. Not one of them thinks they are going to get into a crash, and yet an average of 116 people are killed, and more than 6,500 people are injured in motor vehicle crashes every day. With traffic fatalities at alarmingly high levels and effective solutions within reach, we offer the 2025 Roadmap to Safety report to turn around the drastic and deadly consequences of crashes that we all think will never happen to us, until they do.”
Jack Gillis, Former Executive Director and CEO, Consumer Federation of America, Advocates’ Consumer Co-Chair: “I’ve worked on enacting consumer protections throughout my career, and I’ve seen the tragic impact that car crashes have on America’s families. However, there is also an enormous impact on our wallets. Advocates’ Roadmap clearly identifies the massive economic cost of these crashes having reached a staggering $417 billion! We urge Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation and every state legislature and governor to study this comprehensive report and use it as the roadmap to improve safety on the roads and save lives in 2025.”
Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (D), Member, Minnesota House of Representatives: “As a legislator, I know firsthand that this report is an important tool to help identify the leading traffic safety issues and proven countermeasures, and to mark states’ progress in adopting them. With an estimated 418 motor vehicle crash fatalities in Minnesota last year, action was needed to make our roads safer. That is why I sponsored a bill to upgrade our child passenger safety law and another measure to permit speed safety and red light cameras. I am pleased that Minnesota made progress in this year’s report, and I hope to build on that in the next legislative session. I challenge all state legislators to join me and use the Roadmap to Safety as a go-to guide as we prepare for the next session because the only acceptable number of traffic deaths is zero.”
Tasha Hairston-Springs, Mindfully Aware Driving Solutions: “In 2022, more than 3,300 people died in crashes involving distracted driving. And we know these numbers don’t fully reflect the scope of this crisis. As a Families for Safe Streets ambassador, mother, wife, and grandmother, I am committed to making our roads safer for everyone. Please join me in advocating for the laws, technologies, and awareness campaigns that will save lives. Let’s work together to end this crisis.”
Rich Leotta, Officer Noah A. Leotta Foundation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): “Nine years ago this week, a drug and alcohol impaired driver hit and killed my son, Noah, while he was working on the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department’s Holiday Alcohol Task Force. Our loss is the community’s loss, the police department’s loss, and so much more. That is why I am here today, with Advocates and my fellow speakers, to urge state and federal leaders to take action now on the solutions identified in the Roadmap report.”
Joshua Downing, Lieutenant Colonel, Colorado State Police: “Crashes pose a danger to all on the roads, but first responders enforcing roadway safety laws or managing crash scenes, pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly vulnerable because they lack the protections vehicles provide. I have dedicated my career to making the roads of my home state of Colorado safer for all road users. The solutions detailed in the 2025 Roadmap to Safety can help us all achieve this goal.”
Matt Gannon, Head of Federal Affairs, Farmers Insurance, Advocates Insurance Co-Chair: “With more than 5,300 people killed in crashes involving a young driver and more than 180,000 young drivers injured in crashes in 2022 alone, verified solutions are necessary. Today we encourage all states to review their graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws and take action to upgrade them. There is no time to waste on employing safety solutions to save lives. Fortunately, the Roadmap Report shows us the right steps to take to do so.”
Report Findings: Advocates’ Roadmap to Safety gives every state and Washington, DC a rating in six categories (Occupant Protection, Child Passenger Safety, Young Drivers, Impaired Driving, Distracted Driving and Automated Enforcement to Curb Speed and Red Light Running) as well as an overall grade of “green,” “yellow,” and “red,” reflecting each state’s progress, or lack thereof, toward achieving the optimal laws.
Six states (LA, MD, NY, OR, RI, WA) and DC receive the highest rating of “green,” while nine states earn a “red” rating for lagging dangerously behind in the adoption of Advocates’ recommended laws (ID, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, OK, SD, WY). The remaining 35 states receive a “yellow” or caution rating, indicating that improvement is needed.
Opportunities for state legislative improvement in 2025:
No state has enacted all 18 of Advocates’ optimal countermeasures. Based on Advocates’ safety recommendations, states across the nation need to adopt 533 laws.
- 15 states need an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for front seat passengers.
- 29 states need an optimal primary enforcement seat belt law for rear seat passengers.
- 33 states need an optimal all-rider motorcycle helmet law.
- 26 states need a rear facing through age 2 or older child passenger safety law.
- 36 states and DC need an optimal booster seat law.
- 45 states and DC need an optimal rear seat through age 12 law.
- 186 GDL laws need to be adopted to ensure the safety of novice drivers; no state meets all the criteria recommended in this report.
- 32 critical impaired driving laws are needed in 28 states.
- 4 states need an optimal all-driver text messaging restriction.
- 22 states need a GDL cell phone restriction.
- 26 states need to permit red light cameras by law.
- 27 states do not have red light cameras in use.
- 22 states need to permit automated speed enforcement by law.
- 28 states do not have automated speed enforcement in use.
A comprehensive approach to safety that prioritizes safe vehicles, safe road users and safe roadway infrastructure – as has been the foundation of Advocates’ mission since our founding in 1989 – is the clear path to eliminating the preventable physical, emotional and economic toll crashes impose.
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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.