VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
When we think about transportation safety, the focus is often on the number of fatalities in the state or nation. However, Maggi Gunnels of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminded those attending the 2015 Traffic Safety Conference that the huge number of people injured in crashes each year can’t be ignored.
Gunnels Presents Keynote Address at Traffic Safety Conference
“When you think about the 2.3 million people that were injured [in 2013 U.S. traffic crashes], if that is not a public health problem, I don’t know what is,” Gunnels, associate administrator for Regional Operations and Program Delivery, said during her keynote address. “It truly is a crisis.”
“When you think about the 2.3 million people that were injured [in 2013 U.S. traffic crashes], if that is not a public health problem, I don’t know what is,” Gunnels, associate administrator for Regional Operations and Program Delivery, said during her keynote address. “It truly is a crisis.”
During the conference luncheon, Gunnels presented a NHTSA overview, including many of the safety challenges it faces. She shared statistics related to the 32,719 fatalities across the country in 2013:
- 49 percent were unbuckled
- 59 percent of the nighttime fatalities were unbuckled
- Alcohol impairment accounted for 31 percent of all fatalities
- 54 percent occurred in rural areas
- Speed was a contributing factor in 29 percent of all fatal crashes
Amid the biggest safety challenges facing NHTSA, Gunnels said impaired driving, which includes distracted and drowsy driving, are among “the hardest.” As for motorcycle safety, Gunnels said she was amazed that more states have not enacted helmet laws, “because we view them as an instant measure that saves many, many lives.”
She reminded attendees that during the 90 minutes it took for the luncheon address, six people died in crashes across the nation, with up to 400 others who were injured.
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Robert Wunderlich
