Traffic Fatalities To Be Addressed by Federal ‘Pathways to Safer Streets’ Initiative

National traffic safety action plan outlines eight key strategies to improve roadway safety across the U.S.

Highway safety officials are implementing a new initiative to address the high number of fatalities on U.S. roads by targeting their leading causes.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced its Pathways to Safer Streets (P2SS) initiative on April 21, aiming to prevent driver impairment, speeding, distraction and lack of seat belt use.

U.S. Traffic Fatalities

Although overall traffic fatalities in the U.S. have modestly declined in recent years, significant risks remain for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

Hit and run crashes have made up a growing share of traffic incidents, accounting for 10% of all injuries and 7% of crash related deaths in 2023, the highest percentages ever recorded.

In addition, increased cell phone use has made distracted driving a major risk for roadway users. Survey data indicates that roughly one-third of drivers engage in texting or social media use while behind the wheel, contributing to a significant number of traffic fatalities nationwide.

Pathways to Safer Streets Initiative

NHTSA’s new National Traffic Safety Action Plan contains eight strategies to improve roadway safety, focusing on:

• Stronger law enforcement
• Excessive speed
• Data-driven approaches
• Targeted efforts against impaired and distracted driving
• Post-crash care
• Stronger partnerships
• Increased occupant protection
• Development of AI platforms

The initiative calls for renewed law enforcement engagement, including high-visibility enforcement efforts aimed at deterring and disrupting dangerous and illegal driving behaviors. It also emphasizes expanded grant funding and partnerships, along with enhanced training for prosecutors and judges to strengthen traffic safety enforcement.

To support these efforts, NHTSA is promoting the use of automated enforcement technologies in high-risk areas, particularly to address excessive speeding, which accounts for roughly 30% of all roadway fatalities each year.

Seat belt use remains another critical factor in fatal crashes. In 2023, more than half of those killed in traffic accidents were not wearing a seat belt. In response, NHTSA is funding targeted nighttime enforcement, when seat belt use tends to decline, and is supporting states in adopting stronger seat belt laws and child passenger safety requirements.

The initiative also targets impaired driving, which contributes to more than one-third of roadway deaths annually. It includes additional support for innovative enforcement and prosecution strategies, expanded legal resources, and the promotion of technologies designed to reduce repeat offenses.

“At NHTSA, we’re leaning in to support new and enhanced steps to target and reduce dangerous driving behaviors that lead to serious crashes, such as speeding, impaired driving, failure to wear seat belts, and distracted driving,”

— Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA Administrator

Beyond prevention efforts, 43% of those killed in crashes between 2019 and 2023 were alive when first responders arrived at the scene, suggesting they may have survived with access to prehospital blood transfusions. As such, the initiative calls for expanded funding of these programs.

State highway safety offices (SHSOs) will be supported through an AI powered State Program Hub that provides access to real time data insights to help prioritize safety issues and tailor countermeasures. 

Officials also plan to strengthen partnerships at the federal, state and local levels to expand outreach and reinforce public safety messaging. At the same time, they will prioritize research into new methods for identifying distracted driving and examine how in-vehicle and emerging technologies can be used to prevent it.

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