Statement from Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, on Group Letter to U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg Urging Action on the Second Anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), along with 16 partners, sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the upcoming second anniversary of the enactment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Pub. L. 117-58). It urges the U.S. DOT to issue comprehensive motor vehicle safety rules and adhere to deadlines mandated by Congress.
Adding further support to this call to action, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released research today that shows pedestrian crashes with vehicles that have higher, more vertical front ends lead to higher fatalities. This is especially concerning because, as the report notes, a growing percentage of the U.S. vehicle fleet is made up of pickups and SUVs.
It is estimated that nearly 88,000 people in the U.S. have died and 5.2 million more were injured since the IIJA was enacted. Those frightening crash numbers come with an estimated economic toll of $340 billion per year in 2019 dollars. The horrific impact of this public health emergency highlights the urgency at which U.S. DOT must act. Our Nation can no longer bear the loss of lives and the pain and suffering of injuries from preventable tragedies.
Read letter here.