US Department of Transportation

Summer driving tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration including, heat related illnesses, how heat can damage parts of the car, vehicle checks you can do, and what to include in an emergency roadside kit.

Part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Risky Driving series, this article focuses on the dangers of speeding and why faster doesn’t mean safer.

Tips for what to do when encountering speeding drivers on the road.

Older adults are over represented among pedestrian fatalities in the U.S., prompting designers and planners to improve crosswalks for vulnerable pedestrians. The resource includes information about pedestrian refuge islands, Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs), raised crosswalks, and other countermeasures to improve pedestrian crossing safety.

Motorcycle riders continue to be overrepresented in fatal traffic crashes. In 2024, there were 6,228 motorcyclists killed — 15% of all traffic fatalities. NHTSA data show that this is one of the highest number of motorcyclists killed since at least 1975. To keep everyone safe, we urge drivers and motorcyclists to share the road and be alert, and we're reminding motorcyclists to make themselves visible, to use DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets, and to always ride sober.

Crashes are no accident. Last year, more than 500 lives were lost on our roadways and thousands of others were injured. The only acceptable number is zero. MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office is working to change behaviors that lead to careless and irresponsible driving. You can help by always buckling up, never driving impaired, and always keeping your eyes on the road.

Use the icons on this webpage to find more information about safety or use the navigation tool.

This research describes major strategies and countermeasures; summarizes their use,
effectiveness, costs, and implementation time; and provides references to research summaries and studies.

This portal presents interactive visualizations that focus on several highway safety topics of interest. These visualizations include multiple dashboards with information on fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes and fatalities based on data from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). FARS contains data on every fatal traffic crash in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Driver assistance technologies hold the potential to reduce traffic crashes and save thousands of lives each year. In 2022, 42,514 people died in motor vehicle crashes — many of these crashes were tied to human error. Learn more about driver assistance technologies, how they can help you, and what you should know about these technologies when buying your next vehicle.

"NHTSA Kicks Off Click It or Ticket Campaign Targeting Seat Belt Use in Nighttime, Rural Crashes
Of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2022, more than half were unbelted in nighttime crashes"