nhtsa

The NHTSA just released its traffic fatality estimates for the first quarter of 2022 and they’re high. Really high. 

According to the report, the first quarter of 2022 is the 7th quarter in a row where driving deaths have risen, with 9,560 fatalities this year compared to 8,935 during the same period in 2021. 

This 7% increase marked the highest first quarter levels since 2002. 

Naturally, these stats don’t stand alone, as drivers spent more time behind the wheel (up 5.9% to 40.2 billion miles). The number of fatalities per million miles traveled in this same period of time was 1.27 (up from...

The Call Me Out app was the winning idea developed during a Chevy-sponsored hackathon with students at Wayne State University in Detroit. This app uses recorded messages from the driver's friends and family to deter distracted driving. These audio messages combined with an image of a wagging finger keep the driver focused on the road.

Call Me Out uses the phone's built-in accelerometer and GSP to determine if it picked up whenever speeds increase above 5 MPH.

“As the father of two daughters, I am keenly aware of all the perils that my children face out in the world on a daily basis, and that is...

Following the investigation of two 2016 multi fatality crashes involving school buses, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all new buses be equipped with lap and shoulder seat belts. The organization is also calling for better driver oversight.

Enough is Enough

"I feel like we've always tiptoed around this issue of seat belt usage and lap [and] shoulder belts in school buses," said NTSB Board Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt. "The last recommendation we made on this was in 2013 coming out of a crash in Chesterfield, New Jersey, that occurred in February of 2012. And it was a...

When I was younger I did a lot of stupid things. I’ve driven while eating soup, cereal, and even hot pockets. It’s absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. I don’t drive a lot anymore, but I when I do I am 100% committed to the task at hand, driving!

3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2014. Recently the NHTSA announced their 2^nd phase of voluntary guidelines to address distracted driving.

The first phase encouraged automakers to design less distracting devices or systems at the time of manufacture. This second phase encourages...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that the last of the nearly 16,000 U.S. heavy trucks voluntarily recalled earlier this year by Volvo Trucks North America for a serious steering defect have been identified and repaired, achieving an extraordinary 100 percent vehicle safety recall completion in a very short period of time. The recall was overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in collaboration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

"Over the last nine months, our USDOT team and Volvo Trucks have been laser-focused...

There’s a big difference between spooky fun and dangerous scares. Follow these car safety tips to drive safely so that you, and everyone in your neighborhood, have a Happy Halloween! According the NHTSA, Halloween is one of the three deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, and the top deadliest day of the year for pedestrians between the ages of 5 and 14.

Even in the days leading up to Oct 31^st, children will be out trick-or-treating. Peak trick-or-treating time is 5:30pm-9pm, so it is especially dangerous this year as Halloween falls on a Monday. Kids may be distracted by all the spooky...

This morning U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-13th OH), Peter King (R-2nd NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-9th IL) introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016). The HOT CARS act requires technology in passenger vehicles to alert the driver when a passenger is left in the back seat.

"This legislation will address the needless deaths of children from heatstroke when unintentionally left in vehicles," said Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety president Jackie Gillian in a media conference call on the legislation.

This bipartisan initiative would prevent...

23. So far this year 23 children have lost their lives due to of vehicular heatstroke. Last week 4 children died in hot cars in a four day span. According to Kids And Cars, 25 children passed away from heat related deaths in 2015. This is an epidemic. I’m at a loss for words. This can happen to anyone. The only thing on my mind are my nieces and nephews, my friends’ children, and my future children. We can stop this.

The National Child Passenger Safety Board, a program managed by the National Safety Council,  has declared this Sunday, July 31^st, National Heat Stroke Awareness Day. This...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_oAKCYmzXU

If you missed the opening event in Atlanta on July 9^th, don’t worry, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safe Cars Saves Lives bus tour is traveling across America’s southern states this August. The tour aims to spread awareness about the massive Takata airbag recall and inform the public about vehicle safety.

Safety topics include how to search for vehicle recalls using NHTSA’s look-up tool, how to correctly install and use child safety seats and proper tire maintenance. Rear View Safety offers a helpful system to easily check tire...

Automotive technology is constantly changing, from autonomous cars, to the rising interest in electric vehicles, there is something new every day. Automotive safety technology and policies are changing just as fast. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will begin testing back seat safety in 2019. Virtual Vehicle, a research-and-development center in Austria is using advanced human-body modeling to test safety. These realistic tests produce more accurate results.

“You see the crash-test dummy leaning out of the window after a crash. That situation has nothing in common with...

The name Takata is now synonymous with recall. Millions of airbags have already been recalled, but this post is a little different. This post is about motorcycles.

The Honda GL1800 (Gold Wing), the first and only motorcycle with an OEM airbag, has been recalled. 2,701 motorcycles, models from 2006 through 2010, have been recalled in specific regions. The motorcycles have only been recalled in areas with high or fluctuating temperatures. Because this can be a little confusing, you can read the official report from Honda at the bottom of this Autoblog article.

The problem is the same as with previous...

Crash test dummies have long been used to simulate accidents in the front seat. It’s time for them to switch seats. Pressure is on to better protect rear passengers, as ride-sharing programs such as Uber and Lyft are putting more people in the backseat. Starting in 2019, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will test crash test dummies in the back seat as part of its 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. While this program is 38 years old, it has only tested and rated driver and front passenger seats thus far.

“People assume a 5-star rating extends to all seating locations, but it...

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”: Local Law Enforcement Organization Is Cracking Down on Drunk Driving This July Fourth

• The Fourth of July holiday is a favorite time of year for many Americans. Backyard parties, good food, and fireworks. But the celebrating unfortunately turns deadly when people drive after drinking alcohol. Drunk driving is a preventable problem on Independence Day each year in the United States.

• In 2013, Forbes magazine named the Independence Day holiday “the most dangerous holiday of the year.”

• This year, the Fourth comes on a Saturday, so Friday, July 3, is the Federal holiday...