National Highway Traffic Safety National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAdministration

(NHTSA)(NHTSA)

A Comprehensive ApproachA Comprehensive Approachto Traffic Safetyto Traffic Safety

February 2009

International Conference on Road Safety at Work

•Annually, road traffic crashes cause:

•1.2 million deaths

•50 million injuries

•$500 billion in economic costs

•By 2020, traffic crashes will be the 6th largest cause of death worldwide.

Road Traffic Crashes: Global ImpactRoad Traffic Crashes: Global Impact

• It is estimated that by the year 2020:

• A significant increase in crashes in low- and middle-income countries.

• A moderate decrease in crashes in high-income countries.

Source: WHO World Report on Traffic Injury Prevention 2004

Road Traffic Crashes: U.S. ImpactRoad Traffic Crashes: U.S. Impact

•41,059 fatalities / 1.37 per 100 million VMT

•This rate has improved over time -- from 1.41 in 2006 and 1.69 in 1996

•2.49 million people injured

•$150 billion in economic costs

Motorcycle crashes

• represent 13% of 2007 fatalities

• fatalities up 6.6% since 2006

Seatbelt use• 83% usage in 2008, up from 71% in 2000 and 58% in 1994

•~270 lives saved for each 1% increase in use rate

U.S. traffic fatalities and injuries continue to decrease, with 2007 posting the lowest fatality rate and injury numbers on record.

NHTSA is committed to further reducing the losses due to traffic crashes, and is focusing several specific challenge areas:

Drunk Driving Mitigation •DUIs are 32% of the total of 2007 fatalities (BAC ≥ 0.08)

•DUIs down 3.7% since 2006

•Fatal motorcycle DUIs increased in 25 states

Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis

NHTSA History & OverviewNHTSA History & Overview

•~600 employees

•Traffic Injury Control

•Research & Program Development

•10 Regional Program Offices

•~$800M annual budget

•Key Divisions:

•Vehicle Safety

•Rulemaking

•Enforcement

•Vehicle Safety Research

•National Center for Statistics and Analysis

CAFE197519701966

Energy Policy and Conservation Act

Requires NHTSA to establish and revise fleet average fuel economy standards

Highway Safety Act

Establishes National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within DOT

Department of Transport Act / National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Establishes DOT / Mandates creation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)

NHTSA Mission & StrategyNHTSA Mission & Strategy

•NHTSA is the lead agency responsible for vehicle and traffic safety in the United States.

•Mission:

•Traffic safety is a multi-sector issue:

Save Lives, Prevent Injuries, and Reduce Economic Costs due to Road Traffic Crashes

Transportation

Public Health

Law Enforcement

The NHTSA ApproachThe NHTSA Approach

•PERFORMANCE-BASED

•Regulating the performance rather than the design of vehicles and their components

•SCIENCE-BASED and DATA-DRIVEN

•Pre-crash, crash, post-crash

•Rulemakings are undertaken only when grounded in theory and backed by sound, empirical evidence.

NHTSA realizes its goals of increasing road and traffic safety by establishing and enforcing rules informed by a rigorous policy approach.This approach is:

•COMPREHENSIVE

•Human, Vehicle, Environment

•All contributing factors are examined

Pre-Event

Event

Post-Event

Human Vehicle

Environment

A Comprehensive Policy Approach to Highway Safety

The Haddon MatrixThe Haddon Matrix

•U.S. Safety Standards must:

•Meet a safety need

•Be technologically and economically practicable

•Objectively measure compliance

•Be performance-oriented (vs. design restrictive)

•Be appropriate for each vehicle type

RulemakingRulemaking

•Sources of Rulemaking Action:

•Legislation

•Public Petition

•Crash-Data Analysis

•Technology Changes

•International Standards

•Voluntary Standards

•Compliance Issues

NHTSA is responsible for developing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), regulations that establish standards for vehicle safety, fuel economy, and theft prevention. Both these standards and the processes used to establish them must be:

Reasoned and Fair

Transparent and Open

RulemakingRulemaking

Research &

Development

Initiate

Rulemaking

Proposed

Rule (NPRM)

Public

Comment

Final

Rule

•U.S. Rulemaking Process:

• Initiate / Preliminary Notice

• At the beginning of the process, a preliminary notice requests information about the problem and solicits suggestions for regulatory solutions.

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

• The NPRM explains the basis for the proposed effective date, seeks public comment within a set period, and may ask about alternative solutions.

• Public Comment

• The public may provide additional information on compliance issues, suggest changes, or challenge the agency’s analyses, assumptions, or policy choices.

• Final Rule

• Explains the agency’s acceptance or rejection of each significant comment, describes changes made, and explains choices among regulatory approaches.

Rulemaking: HarmonizationRulemaking: Harmonization

•Completed Vehicle Safety GTRs:

•Door Locks and Latches, Motorcycle Brakes, Head Restraints, Glazing, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Pedestrian Safety

•In-Process GTRs:

•Hydrogen Vehicles, Tires

•New Program of Work

The economic and safety benefits of harmonized vehicle regulations are significant. As such, NHTSA’s harmonization efforts are centered on the 1998 Agreement on Global Technical Regulations administered by the UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29).

http://www.unece.org/trans/main/welcwp29.htm

Rulemaking: Fuel EconomyRulemaking: Fuel Economy

•Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, MY 2011-2015

•Proposes substantial increases to current standards

•New Responsibilities

•Medium and heavy duty truck fuel efficiency

•Tire fuel efficiency

•Consumer information

NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy program (CAFE) is the cornerstone of fuel economy efforts in the U.S. The program’s current focus is meeting mandates for significant increases in U.S. fleet fuel economy over the next ten years. Specific priorities include:

EnforcementEnforcement

• Self-Certification: Manufacturers must certify that their vehicles and equipment comply with the appropriate FMVSS.

• Prohibition: A person may not manufacture for sale, offer for sale, introduce into commerce, or import noncompliant vehicles or equipment

NHTSA’s Enforcement activities are legislatively supported by The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and center on upholding the following basic principles:

• Duty to Recall: Manufacturers must recall (i.e., notify owners and provide remedy for all affected vehicles or equipment) if it learns of a safety defect or noncompliance, or if NHTSA decides there is a defect on noncompliance.

• Importers are manufacturers: Per statutory definition.

Fully compliant vehicles or equipment may contain safety defects.

EnforcementEnforcement

NHTSA’s Enforcement primary responsibilities are divided between two offices: Defects Investigation and Vehicle Safety Compliance.Office of Defects Investigation

ODI identifies candidates for investigation from complaints, manufacturer notices, foreign recalls, early warning reports, and petitions. Voluntary recalls usually follow if evidence of defects is found, though ODI can order a recall if necessary.

Spotlight on:

Equipment Imports

Imported equipment makes up a growing proportion of the U.S. market, and NHTSA’s enforcement activities increasingly involve these imports. NHTSA looks to its international colleagues to cooperate on these important issues.

Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance

OVSC works to ensure new motor vehicles and equipment for sale in the U.S. comply with FMVSS requirements by testing and inspecting vehicles from the marketplace.

Vehicle Safety ResearchVehicle Safety Research

• Increasing seat belt use

•Decreasing alcohol and drug involvement in crashes

•Decreasing the number of rollover crashes

• Improving vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility

• Improving data systems

The Vehicle Safety Research division supports NHTSA’s programs through the collection and analysis of crash data to identify safety issues. The resulting research is used to develop solutions to problems and assess the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of countermeasures. Research activities focus on improving vehicle crashworthiness and crash avoidance. Current priorities include:

•Roof Crush

•Vehicle Compatibility

•Rollover Mitigation

•Advanced Restraints

•Ejection Mitigation

•Motorcoach / School Bus Safety

Crashworthiness & Crash AvoidanceCrashworthiness & Crash Avoidance

Crashworthiness strives to reduce the severity and increase the survivability of a crash. Areas of study include:

•Electronic Stability Control

•Lane Departure Warning

•Adaptive Cruise Control

•Blind Spot Detection

•Night Vision

•Active Braking

Crash Avoidance technologies are designed to increase vehicle’s ability to avoid crashes. Areas of study include:

The Vehicle Safety Research division’s works to foster promising new technologies and to improve the performance of existing systems.

New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

•Preparations for upgraded NCAP release MY 2010

•Enhanced Vehicle Labels—more safety performance information at point of sale

•Web upgrades—more information via the Internet

•Advanced Technology Program

•Electronic Stability Control

•Forward Collision Warning

•Lane Departure Warning

The New Car Assessment Program provides needed information about vehicle safety and new technologies so consumers are well-informed. It also encourages manufacturers to accelerate the deployment and availability of safety technologies. Current priorities include:

National Center for Statistics and National Center for Statistics and AnalysisAnalysis

•Key Data Acquisition Programs:

•Fatality Analysis Reporting System

•National Automotive Sampling System

•Special Crash Investigation

•Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System

•National Occupant Protection Survey

The collection and analysis of quality data is critical to NHTSA’s mission. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) provides an objective basis to analyses of motor vehicle safety standards and highway safety programs. NCSA collects data, evaluates the extent of problems, and identifies potential countermeasures.

•Traffic Records Analysis

•Collection and analysis of State driver records

•Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation•Examines effectiveness of

existing NHTSA regulations and programs

Data, fact sheets, and reports are accessible online at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Traffic Injury ControlTraffic Injury Control

•Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection

•Safety Programs

•Enforcement and Criminal Justice Systems

•Speed Management

•Young Novice Drivers

•Older Drivers

•Pedestrians

•Motorcycles

•Behavioral Safety Research

•Emergency Medical Services

www.photos.com

NHTSA’s Traffic Injury Control programs address the human behavioral factors of road safety. The Research and Program Development division develops countermeasures targeting the following key areas:

•Educational products aimed at the consumer:•Walkability Checklist, Beginning Teenage Drivers

•Good practice guides and campaign planners for traffic safety practitioners and safety advocates:•Back to School planner, Click It or Ticket It, Promising

Practices in Motorcycle Rider Education

•Training curricula for strengthening the skills of traffic safety professionals and law enforcement personnel:•Child Passenger Safety, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing

•Research and Evaluation Reports:•Impaired driving, seat belt use, novice drivers, motorcycles,

pedestrians, older drivers, speed management, etc.

•NHTSA’s ten regional offices disseminate these products and administer grant programs aimed at specific targets, such as impaired driving and occupant protection.

Traffic Injury ControlTraffic Injury Control

Research and Program Development’s products include a wide range of traffic safety materials:

•Collaborate with U.S. and International Organizations

•Participate in the development of global road traffic programs through groups including the WHO, WP.1, the

World Bank, and others.

•Actively engage in the vehicle safety standard harmonization process undertaken by WP.29 through the 1998 Agreement.

•Support the development and distribution of good practice manuals for implementing traffic safety programs.

•Engage in bilateral agreements on vehicle and road traffic safety with other countries including: Canada, China, the EU, France, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

•Welcome and inform delegations through the International Visitors Program.

International Program StrategiesInternational Program Strategies

HighlightsHighlights

NHTSA’s successes in increasing vehicle and road traffic safety depends on applying a rigorous, science-based approach to the following factors:

Education

Raise awareness of vehicle and traffic safety problems. Teach people about measures being taken to address the issues.

Engineering

Develop science-based, data-driven regulations designed to increase vehicle and traffic safety for all road-users.

Enforcement

Ensure regulations are evenly and effectively applied across all populations and areas.

Thank You!Thank You!