The mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency develops, promotes and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs aimed at ending preventable tragedies and reducing the economic costs associated with motor vehicle use and highway travel. As an integral part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency improves public health and enhances the quality of transportation by helping to make highway travel safer. A multi-disciplinary approach is used that draws upon diverse fields such as epidemiology, engineering, biomechanics, the social sciences, human factors, economics, education, law enforcement and communication science to address one of the most complex and challenging public health problems facing our society. NHTSA is the national and international leader in collecting and analysing motor vehicle crash data, and in developing countermeasures relevant to preventing and mitigating vehicle crashes, thereby reducing and preventing resulting fatalities and traumatic injury. The agency regulates motor vehicle and original equipment manufacturers through its safety standards program; provides national and international leadership in understanding and assessing the safety impact of advanced technologies; sponsors critical research; spurs progress in harmonising international safety standards; and conducts innovative projects to improve traffic and motor vehicle safety. All aspects of engineering, education, enforcement and evaluation are incorporated into programs to address the challenges of crash and injury prevention involving people, vehicles, and the roadway environment. The following report presents an in-depth look at one of the most significant safety issues impacting highway safety and the success of NHTSA’s mission – safety belt use. This document describes the safety problem represented by the failure to use safety belts and provides strategies the agency plans to pursue in increasing safety belt use, thereby saving lives. In addition to the full agenda of highway safety issues, impaired driving, rollover mitigation and vehicle compatibility are the other priority issues set by NHTSA to reduce the occurrence and consequences of motor vehicle fatalities and injuries. Each of the four documents can be found on NHTSA’s Web site at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/iptreports.html and also on DOT’s docket management system (DMS) at http://dms.dot.gov/ (The impaired driving report is currently in agency review and should be released and posted later this year.) (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting