Dr. Cliff Faces a Long Road Ahead to Renew NHTSA’s Leadership

Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), today issued the following statement on the confirmation of Dr. Steven Cliff as NHTSA Administrator:

NACTO congratulates Dr. Steven Cliff on his confirmation as NHTSA Administrator, furthering the Administration’s progress on renewing the Department of Transportation with qualified appointments that have the necessary background to address America’s safety, climate, and equity crises.

Despite commendable progress since his nomination as Deputy Administrator, Dr. Cliff faces a long road ahead to renew NHTSA’s leadership. After decades of inaction, other world regulatory bodies have leapfrogged the U.S. in enacting regulations that keep people safe.

U.S. vehicle standards remain woefully out of date, with critical updates needed to FMVSS and NCAP star ratings. Virtually every vehicle on the road gets a four or five-star safety rating from NHTSA, despite escalating pedestrian deaths from ever-larger SUVs with often-enormous blind spots.

Dr. Cliff also faces the challenge of integrating technology into vehicles: current practice is to not require common-sense standards like cross-over mirrors, speed governors, and Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking, as well as virtually no standards for autonomous vehicle testing, which has tragically led to the loss of many lives. 

With over 40,000 people killed in the U.S. last year, Dr. Cliff must urgently act to stem the traffic safety crisis engulfing the country. We stand ready to partner with the Administrator and the rest of the Administration to make our streets safe for everyone. 

Read NACTO’s Recommendations for Reforms to NHTSA (pdf) 

Learn more about Federal Vehicle Safety Ratings and NACTO’s Recommendations for NCAP Reform (pdf)

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About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO is an association of 91 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit nacto.org or follow us on Twitter at @NACTO.

Contact
Alex Engel | [email protected]

For Immediate Release
May 26, 2022