Statement by Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Today, on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we honor and remember the millions of lives lost to roadway crashes. We also empathize with the families and communities who endure a pain that may never fully heal. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, 20 percent of whom were vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and those who use wheelchairs. Early estimates for 2022 and the first six months of 2023 remain historically high. This amount of death and destruction on our roads is unfathomable and unacceptable, especially as proven solutions already exist to solve the crisis. Our nation’s leaders must activate courage and political will to advance them. Each fatality number represents a person who mattered, and they and their loved ones are the reason Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety does what we do.
Read the recent letter from Advocates and 16 partners to Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg calling for action on safety mandates in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts (IIJA, Pub L. 117-58) on the second anniversary of enactment.
On December 5, 2023, Advocates will release our Roadmap to Safety report, an annual assessment of safety on our nation’s roads. The press conference can be watched LIVE at www.saferoads.org beginning at 10:30 AM ET.