A horrific crash that killed six high school girls in Oklahoma two years ago has the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urging parents to warn teenagers about the risk of driving after using marijuana.
Police say a common theme is playing out with this year’s increase in fatal crashes: excessively high speeds, lack of seat belts and impaired drivers, sometimes all three at once.
The number of U.S. pedestrians killed in traffic crashes declined for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2023, according to a new report.
Pedestrian traffic fatalities in the U.S. totaled 7,318 people in 2023, according to preliminary data released June 26 by the Governors Highway Safety Association, representing a 5.4% decline from the prior year.
GHSA projects 7,318 people walking were killed by in motor vehicle crashes in 2023. This represents a 5.4% decrease from 2022 but is still 14.1% above 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year.
Automakers are asking federal safety regulators to reconsider a rule mandating better automatic braking technology, even as pedestrian deaths remain stubbornly high.