National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy has challenged local advocates and safety leaders to “fight like hell” and use the “Safe System Approach” to reduce increasing deaths and injuries on the United States’ roads.
The Safe System Approach is a proven way to reduce highway deaths and injuries by taking a holistic look at the entire roadway system, from planning to design to use — making all roads safer for all roadway users.
In a keynote speech closing out the 2022 Lifesaver’s conference, Homendy said it was a “watershed” moment for the roadway safety community.
“Finally, some things we’ve all been advocating for are now part of the first-ever National Roadway Safety Strategy from the U.S. Department of Transportation, a national call for a paradigm shift in traffic safety to the Safe System Approach, which is on NTSB’s Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements,” Homendy said.
“At the highest levels, we’re now talking the same language,” Homendy said. “Systems thinking isn’t new. It’s certainly not new to other industries. Systems thinking in highway safety used to be a radical idea only discussed by experts at events like this. Congratulations to each and every one of you for shouting our safety message from the rooftops — you’ve moved the needle!”
Moving to a Safe System Approach is on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements and has recently been embraced by the U.S. Department of Transportation. More information on Safe System: https://go.usa.gov/xzn47
