National Transportation Safety Board Issues 11 Safety Recommendations to Improve Pedestrian Safety




Washington, DC - - (September 15, 2018) - - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the recipients of 11 safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Tuesday in its Pedestrian Safety Special Investigation Report.

Following the NTSB’s Pedestrian Safety Forum in 2016, the Office of Highway Safety investigated a series of 15 highway crashes in which vehicles struck and killed pedestrians between April 24 and Nov. 3, 2016. While not a representative sample of pedestrian crashes (that could be generalized for all pedestrian crashes), the NTSB selected cases for investigation that cover the range of pedestrian crash characteristics. The number, 15, was symbolic of the average number of pedestrians killed each day in 2016. Unfortunately, during the completion of this study, that average number increased to 16 pedestrians killed daily. Pedestrian fatalities have increased every year since 2009, with 5,987 pedestrians killed in 2016 because of vehicle crashes.

The Pedestrian Safety Special Investigation Report addresses vehicle-based changes, infrastructure improvements and data needs for improving pedestrian safety. The report also considers improvements to vehicle lighting systems and other vehicle safety systems that can improve pedestrian safety.

“Pedestrian safety is a universal issue – we are all pedestrians,” said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. “Pedestrian safety requires a multi-faceted approach of engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation so all road users are provided safe facilities and use them as intended. The time is right for advancing improvements in pedestrian safety and the NTSB is proud to provide our expertise in the national effort to address this safety issue.”

The NTSB issued eight safety recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, two to the Federal Highway Administration and one to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recommendations address, among other issues, the need include performance-based standards for vehicle headlight systems, development of performance test criteria for vehicle designs that reduce pedestrian injuries, and incorporation of pedestrian safety systems including pedestrian collision avoidance systems and other more passive safety systems into the New Car Assessment Program.

The abstract of the report is available online at https://go.usa.gov/xPje7 and the supplemental data for the report is available in the public docket for the report is available at https://go.usa.gov/xPjeS.

The report will publish on the NTSB’s website in a few weeks.


Source: National Transportation Safety Board