Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), made the following statement in response to a record 7% increase in traffic fatalities in the U.S.:

Today, the United States’ latest safety numbers brought tragic–yet unsurprising–news: far too many people in the U.S. die in preventable traffic crashes, and the country’s traffic safety crisis is getting worse, not better. 

This increase in traffic deaths is alarming, and the crisis has been building for decades. The larger story behind these statistics is a death toll on our country’s streets far higher than any other industrialized country. 

We know how to sharply cut traffic deaths. Reform speed limits. Focus on our most dangerous streets. Remove red tape preventing cities from using proven safe designs. Take long-overdue steps so consumers aren’t misled about the safety of the vehicles they purchase. Encourage every state to use the funding available from the infrastructure bill to build safe streets, transit lanes, sidewalks, and bike networks instead of road expansions. 

Practitioners and decision-makers at all levels must focus on this crisis with the urgency it deserves. Parents, colleagues, and friends should not have to wonder every day if they will get to see their children and loved ones at night. 

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About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO is an association of 90 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 and Instagram at @NACTOcities. 

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For Immediate Release
August 17th, 2022