Washington, DC – Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) reacted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHSTA) announcement that roadway fatalities are down 2.4%, though pedestrian and cyclist deaths are up 3.4 percent and 6.3 percent respectively.
“While total traffic fatalities are down from last year, 36,560 deaths is still an unacceptable number. It’s especially troubling to see deaths among cyclists and pedestrians on the rise, continuing a decade-long increase in fatalities,” Chair DeFazio said. “Every life counts and we must continue to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards when it comes to making communities safer. It’s our job to protect every roadway user, especially the most vulnerable, and I’ll be making it a priority to do so in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.”
In April, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing titled, “Every Life Counts: Improving the Safety of our Nation’s Roadways” which focused on assessing the safety of our Nation’s roads and learning what can be done to lower the number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries. Watch Chair DeFazio’s opening statement here.
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