NHTSA countermeasures report discusses tech-based strategies for safer driving

The Department of Transporation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on September 2 released the 10th edition of Countermeasures That Work, a report that discusses strategies to reduce fatalities on the nation’s roads, including countermeasures based on advanced technology.

The NTHSA also released its estimates of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2021, which suggests a 10.5% increase in fatalities compared with the first quarter of 2020. These increases in fatalities come even though the number of miles driven declined by about 3%.

These early estimates suggest the driving patterns and behaviors the agency reported in 2020, which changed significantly from previous years, continue to prevail and that drivers who remained on the roads engaged in more risky behavior, including speeding, failing to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“We must address the tragic loss of life we saw on the roads by taking a transformational and collaborative approach to safety," said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s Acting Administrator. “We are working closely with our safety partners to address risky driving behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving, and failing to buckle up.”

Technology-based countermeasures discussed in the report include:

Electronic technology for parental monitoring

Technologies for determining alcohol-based driving impairment

Night-vision technology for law enforcement

Automated enforcement technology

In-vehicle technology for detecting driver distraction

Crash warning and crash avoidance technology

Technologies to detect and deter aggressive driving

Read more: https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/q1-2021-fatality-estimates-10th-cou...

Read the countermeasures report: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2021-09/15100_Countermeasure...