1. International Conference on Road Safety at Work
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) A Comprehensive Approach to Traffic Safety
International Conference on Road Safety at Work
February 2009

2. Road Traffic Crashes: Global Impact
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.
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

3. Road Traffic Crashes: U.S. Impact
U.S. traffic fatalities and injuries continue to decrease, with 2007 posting the lowest fatality rate and injury numbers on record.
41,059 fatalities / 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
NHTSA is committed to further reducing the losses due to traffic crashes, and is focusing several specific challenge areas:
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
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

4. NHTSA History & Overview
1966
1970
1975
CAFE
Department of Transport Act / National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act
Establishes DOT / Mandates creation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
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
~$800M annual budget
Key Divisions:
Vehicle Safety
Rulemaking
Enforcement
Vehicle Safety Research
National Center for Statistics and Analysis
~600 employees
Traffic Injury Control
Research & Program Development
10 Regional Program Offices

5. NHTSA 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
Law Enforcement
Public Health

6. The NHTSA Approach
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
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.

7. The Haddon Matrix Human Vehicle Environment Pre-Event Event Post-Event
A Comprehensive Policy Approach to Highway Safety

8. Rulemaking Transparent and Open Reasoned and Fair
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:
Transparent and Open
Reasoned and Fair
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
Sources of Rulemaking Action:
Legislation
Public Petition
Crash-Data Analysis
Technology Changes
International Standards
Voluntary Standards
Compliance Issues
Administrative Procedures Act:
Transparent & Open—notice and opportunity for comment, timely availability of info, written response to comments
Reasoned and Fair Decision-Making
Regulatory Flexibility Act:
Examines rules’ impacts on small businesses
Executive Order:
Detailed examination of costly or controversial rules’ impacts

9. Rulemaking U.S. Rulemaking Process: Initiate / Preliminary Notice
Research &
Development
Initiate
Rulemaking
Proposed
Rule (NPRM)
Public
Comment
Final
Rule
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.

10. Rulemaking: Harmonization
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).
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

11. Rulemaking: Fuel Economy
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:
Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, MY
Proposes substantial increases to current standards
New Responsibilities
Medium and heavy duty truck fuel efficiency
Tire fuel efficiency
Consumer information

12. Fully compliant vehicles or equipment may contain safety defects.
Enforcement
NHTSA’s Enforcement activities are legislatively supported by The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and center on upholding the following basic principles:
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
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.

13. Enforcement
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.
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.
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.

14. Vehicle Safety Research
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:
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
Applied Vehicle Safety Research
Human-Vehicle Performance Research
VRTC

15. Crashworthiness & Crash Avoidance
The Vehicle Safety Research division’s works to foster promising new technologies and to improve the performance of existing systems.
Crashworthiness strives to reduce the severity and increase the survivability of a crash. Areas of study include:
Crash Avoidance technologies are designed to increase vehicle’s ability to avoid crashes. Areas of study include:
Roof Crush
Vehicle Compatibility
Rollover Mitigation
Advanced Restraints
Ejection Mitigation
Motorcoach / School Bus Safety
Electronic Stability Control
Lane Departure Warning
Adaptive Cruise Control
Blind Spot Detection
Night Vision
Active Braking

16. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
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:
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

17. National Center for Statistics and Analysis
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.
Key Data Acquisition Programs:
Fatality Analysis Reporting System
National Automotive Sampling System
Special Crash Investigation
Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System
National Occupant Protection Survey
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:

18. Traffic Injury Control
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:
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
93 percent of all motor vehicle crashes are the result of human error. To reduce crashes, it is essential to engage drivers and other road users in understanding the problem and developing solutions.

19. Traffic Injury Control
Research and Program Development’s products include a wide range of traffic safety materials:
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.
State grant programs – more than $600 million in federal funds for various program areas.

20. International Program Strategies
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.
Partner groups: U.S. Department of State, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, WHO, UNECE Working Party on Road Traffic Safety and WP.29, the World Bank, private sector organizations, and others.
Joint activities include Global Road Safety Week and other events.
Strategies to help developing countries, based on the 2004 WHO World Report:
Identifying a lead agency in government to guide national road traffic safety efforts.
Creating a robust motor vehicle crash data collection and analysis system.
Developing and implementing a national road safety action plan that provides flexibility to meet regional and local needs.
Allocating financial and human resources to address the problem.
Developing public-private partnerships to ensure that all elements of society have both a role and a voice in developing solutions.
Working with international organizations and other nations to facilitate the technology transfer in helping make these efforts efficient and effective.

21. Highlights Engineering Education Enforcement
NHTSA’s successes in increasing vehicle and road traffic safety depends on applying a rigorous, science-based approach to the following factors:
Engineering
Develop science-based, data-driven regulations designed to increase vehicle and traffic safety for all road-users.
Education
Raise awareness of vehicle and traffic safety problems. Teach people about measures being taken to address the issues.
Enforcement
Ensure regulations are evenly and effectively applied across all populations and areas.

22. Thank You!