How is the U.S. Doing on Traffic Safety?

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When it comes to traffic safety, the U.S. lags far behind other countries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association’s (NHTSA’s) analysis of 2015 data shows that 35,200 individuals were killed on U.S. roads last year, which is the largest year-over-year percentage increase (7.7%) since national record-keeping began.

Traffic safety is a public health issue. It is also a social justice issue because there are drastic disparities in fatalities and injuries among people walking and biking, and minorities.

“We won’t save the number of lives we aim to without shifting our understanding of traffic violence from an individual behavior problem to a design, policy, and organizational practices problem,” according to the Vision Zero Network.

Moreover, the shift in understanding should start with our nation’s top health protection agency recommending state and local governments implement proven speed management strategies.

Read about what makes Vision Zero an innovative road safety policy with the potential to make our streets safe here.

Check out the resources below for more information about the current status of traffic safety in the U.S and spread the word! Ask city leaders and elected officials to address traffic safety through design, policy, and organizational practices. Tell them that unsafe roads are a major barrier to walking and your community’s health depends on safe places to walk, bike, and play.

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