FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2025
CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (cell)
Statement by Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer, Governors Highway Safety Association
WASHINGTON, D.C. – GHSA strongly supports the nomination of Jonathan Morrison to serve as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During his tenure as Chief Counsel of NHTSA during President Trump’s first term, Morrison was a committed public servant who put safety first and worked closely and effectively with GHSA and its members.
Traffic deaths are at historically high levels, with more than 40,000 people killed in crashes in 2023 – up 25% from a decade before. With more than 100 people dying on U.S. roads every day, it’s imperative that NHTSA be led by a confirmed Administrator. During the past eight years, during which time more than 275,000 people have died in vehicle crashes, NHTSA has had a Senate-confirmed leader for just three months.
GHSA looks forward to working with Morrison to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) that reduce the impact of critical and limited safety dollars. During his earlier tenure at NHTSA, Morrison worked with GHSA to eliminate unnecessary and time-consuming processes at NHTSA that only served to burden SHSOs and did not improve safety. Unfortunately, these administrative burdens have increased in recent years, leading to the urgent need for renewed emphasis by NHTSA on safety outcomes instead of processes.
The need to address ongoing issues such as drunk and drugged driving has also increased in recent years. Drunk driving deaths rose by 33% from 2019 to 2022, the last year of complete NHTSA data. We urge NHTSA to move forward with technology that will eliminate drunk driving in our lifetime. The technology exists and the public is depending on NHTSA to exert leadership to ensure no family loses a loved one to a drunk driver ever again.
GHSA congratulates the administration on the nomination of Jonathan Morrison and urges expedient confirmation by the Senate.
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About GHSA
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Visit ghsa.org for more information or find us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.