WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched its “Speeding Catches Up with You” speeding prevention campaign to remind drivers to slow down.
“Speeding accounts for nearly a third of all fatalities on our roads,” said Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. “While speeding may seem like the quick and easy option to make up some time when you’re running late, it puts you, your loved ones, and everyone else on the road in danger. This summer, and all year round, NHTSA urges drivers to slow down so everyone can arrive safely at their destination.”
Shulman was joined at Chicago’s Navy Pier on July 8 by Teri Gage, superintendent of the Pullman National Historical Park; Ross Chastain, NASCAR Cup Series driver, and Matthew Hamon, who survived a speed-related crash that killed two of his friends. The event featured taped remarks from Xavier Worthy of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Together, they highlighted speeding’s deadly consequences, and with the summer vacation season in full swing, encouraged drivers to slow down and enjoy the ride.
The campaign runs through July 31 and is supported by a $9.5 million national media buy featuring English- and Spanish-language ads for TV, radio, and digital platforms.
NHTSA also released data showing that while the number of fatalities in speeding-related crashes fell slightly in 2022, speeding was still a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities for the year. In 2022, 12,151 people died, and an estimated 300,595 were injured in speeding-related crashes, a 3% and 9% decrease from 2021.
NHTSA also reminds the public that speeding happens — and is dangerous — on all roads, not just highways. In fact, in 2022, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads.
Safer speeds are a key objective of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy. Earlier this year, the Department published its 2024 Progress Report, a departmental update two years after the release of the original NRSS on Jan. 27, 2022. The Departmentwide adoption of the safe system approach remains the foundation of the NRSS’ implementation and is pivotal to addressing the fatality crisis on roads. The progress report provides an update on the Department’s efforts to address serious and fatal injuries—including those caused by speeding—on roadways and details the Department’s accomplishments related to addressing the NRSS actions in 2023.
The most significant actions in 2023 include:
- $1.7 billion awarded in funding to improve roadway safety at the local, regional and tribal levels through the Safe Streets and Roads for All discretionary grant program. Over 1,000 communities received funding, representing close to 70% of all Americans.
- Accelerated deployment of new vehicle safety technologies through rulemakings for automatic emergency braking, including for pedestrians, on all new passenger vehicles, as well as heavy vehicles such as commercial trucks.
- Advance notice of proposed rulemaking for impaired-driving prevention technology standards to inform requirements that will deter behaviors such as alcohol-impaired driving.
- Updated key road safety regulations such as the new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and revised guidance to encourage states using federal-aid funds to use repaving and rehabilitation projects to improve safety for all road users.
- Expanded the use and support of the National Emergency Medical Services Information System by accepting data from all 50 states, two territories and the District of Columbia.
More than 160 organizations have joined as Allies in Action of the NRSS, including 36 state transportation agencies and safety offices.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
