USDOT, ATSSA Push to Reduce Roadway Fatalities
Key Highlights
- USDOT and ATSSA leaders met to discuss clearing barriers to deploy roadway safety technologies faster.
- FHWA’s new SAFE ROADS initiative identifies 4,300 high-risk arterials across all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
- States will implement improvements by FY 2026, focusing on distraction reduction, signal upgrades, corridor management and better compliance with MUTCD standards.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is making major strides to reduce roadway fatalities nationwide, meeting with industry partners to discuss life-saving technologies and launching the SAFE ROADS program.
ATSSA Meets with Secretary Duffy on Reducing Red Tape
Leaders with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) met with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to discuss ways to cut red and accelerate deployment of roadway safety products, according to a news release from the organization. ATSSA representatives included Board Chair Mike Hare, Chair-Elect Haley Murphy, Board Members David Krahulec and Scott Marion, President and CEO Stacy Tetschner and Vice President of Government Relations Cameron Greene.
“We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Transportation Secretary Duffy today amid the many demands he faces in overseeing safe travel across the country,” Hare said. “We were thankful for the time to discuss key issues including the importance of getting innovative products that can help save lives on the nation’s roadways through the approval process faster without sacrificing necessary safeguards.”
The organization also plans to work with USDOT and federal lawmakers as development begins on the next federal surface transportation bill, the press release states.
SAFE ROADS Initiative Targets 4,300 High-Risk Arterials
Duffy also recently announced the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies (SAFE ROADS) initiative. The program seeks to reduce roadway fatalities by identifying high-risk arterial roadways that would benefit from targeted safety upgrades.
According to USDOT’s release, all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have identified 4,300 roads and intersections in need improvements — ranging from intersection upgrades in Georgia to signal and interchange improvements in New Hampshire. These upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of Fisal Year 2026, the department said.
State strategies to improve roadway safety include reducing signage clutter, tightening control of outdoor advertising, strengthening compliance with traffic control device standards, expediting adoption of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, improving vegetation management and debris removal and applying a whole-of-right-of-way safety approach to reduce visual distractions for drivers, according to USDOT.
Many of the high-risk locations were identified using data provided through FHWA’s Highway Safety Improvement Plan, which guides states in deploying proven countermeasures to prevent severe crashes.