US Traffic Deaths Are a ‘Growing Public Health Crisis,’ NTSB Chair Says

Traffic at twilight along 42nd Street in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 27, 2019. Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Car accident fatalities are reaching the level of a public health crisis in the United States, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change during a meeting on Nov. 19.

“There is no doubt we are in the midst of a growing public health crisis on our roads,” Homendy said.

“Last year, 2.7 million people were injured, and 40,990 people died on our roads. That’s about 112 people every day.”

Comparing the United States to other developed nations, she said that “unlike most developed nations, U.S. roadways have grown more deadly over the last several decades.”

Advocating comprehensive overhaul of traffic safety measures, Homendy emphasized the adoption of a “safe system approach.” This model builds in many layers of redundancy, she said, so that if one layer fails, people are still protected.

“At the NTSB, we believe the only acceptable number of injuries and crashes on our roads is zero. Zero,” Homendy said.

She countered skepticism by pointing out that “many villages, towns, and cities around the world are having incredible success saving lives on their roads, including right here in the United States.”

A collective responsibility is required to achieve this goal, Homendy said.

“They all have one thing in common: They embrace the safe system approach to traffic safety,” she said. “Places that have successfully eliminated traffic deaths also understand that everyone, every part of society, shares the responsibility for safety.”

The Nov. 19 meeting was convened to discuss the findings of an investigation into a fatal collision in Louisville, New York, in 2023.

On Jan. 28, 2023, a box truck crossed the centerline on New York State Route 37 and collided with a bus carrying migrant workers from a solar farm construction company. Six bus occupants died, and several others were injured. The driver of the box truck was also seriously injured.

“Our investigation found that those responsible for transportation safety and federal oversight failed to do their part,” Homendy said regarding the crash. “This includes motor carriers and regulatory agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the states of New York and Montana, among others.”

The NTSB’s investigation revealed multiple safety issues that contributed to the collision. Among them were the truck driver’s fatigue because of insufficient sleep, the truck motor carrier’s lack of a structured fatigue management program, and ineffective oversight by the FMCSA.

The board criticized the FMCSA for failing to identify and intervene in safety issues associated with the truck operator, Aero Global Logistics. The bus operator was able to register its buses out of state in Montana, which is why recommendations were also made for that state, according to the board.

“It is crashes like this, and so many others that we even investigate that make me wonder what the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is doing to protect the traveling public,” Homendy said.

She said the FMCSA has a duty to act as a safety stopgap.

“In carrying out its duties, the administration shall consider the assignment and maintenance of safety as the highest priority,” Homendy said.

The NTSB issued 12 new recommendations and reiterated three previous ones related to occupant protection, federal and state oversight of motor carrier operations, and fatigue countermeasures. These recommendations were directed at FMCSA, the NHTSA, the states involved, trucking industry groups, and the motor carriers implicated in the collision.

The final report on the Louisville crash will be published on the NTSB’s website in the coming weeks.