What are the Responsibilities of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration?
Dennis AuBuchon
March 06, 2010
Presently there are recall issues within the automobile industry and Congress is currently holding hearings to get answers. They basically want to know details of what happened, what they knew and when and the actions being taken to resolve the issues identified. While the extent of present recall issues for a specific manufacturer may present the need for Congressional hearings they are not always necessary. This organization has the responsibility to address these kinds of issues through investigations and for the most part Congress should let this agency handle the issues. While this organization is currently involved with the present automobile recall issue it is not the only responsibility it has. Investigating recall issues in the automobile industry is important and the information it provides on its web site is a great resource. Individuals with recall questions for their vehicles can find answers whether their specific vehicle is affected by any recall issue.
This administration was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 to carry out programs previously administered by the Highway Safety Bureau. It directs several programs for highway safety established by acts of Congress. The mission of this administration is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. Three specific acts and all the succeeding amendments to them are administered by this administration. The first is the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. This act created the first mandatory federal safety standards for motor vehicles. Implementation authority was assigned to the Department of Commerce and, shortly thereafter, to the National Highway Safety Bureau within the newly formed Department of Transportation.
Another act which is administered by this agency is the Highway Safety act of 1966. This act established a coordinated national highway safety program to reduce the death toll on the nation´s roads. It authorized states to use federal funds to develop and strengthen their highway safety programs in accordance with uniform standards promulgated by the secretary of transportation.
The third act administered by this agency is the Motor Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972. It authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to establish cost-effective bumper performance standards for new cars manufactured in, or imported into, the United States. It also established a national prohibition against tampering with motor vehicle odometers. The act also authorizes the Secretary of Transportation under title II to conduct a study of the damage susceptibility, crashworthiness, and ease of diagnosis and repair among the various car makes and models.
The three acts identified above are only a small indication of the scope, responsibilities and involvement of this department associated with highway traffic and safety issues. Some of the topics and their focus which involve this agency are listed below:
Aggressive driving - defined by law enforcement and the judiciary occurring when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property."
Bicycles – The goals are directed toward reducing bicycle injuries and fatalities through education, research and enforcement.
Child Passenger Safety - has a campaign to help you properly choose and install correct safety seat for your child. There is a four step process provided on their web site for choosing the right safety seat for children.
Click it or ticket – This program is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign which is helping to create the highest national seat belt usage rate of 83 percent.
Disabled Drivers and Passengers – regulate the manufacture of automotive adaptive equipment and modified vehicles used by persons with disabilities.
Drowsy and Distracted Driving – A program to combat distracted and drowsy driving through educational and technological solutions.
Emergency Medical Services – the mission of this activity is to reduce death and disability by providing leadership and coordination to the EMS community in assessing, planning, developing, and promoting comprehensive, evidence-based emergency medical services and
9-1-1 systems.
Enforcement and Justice Services – provides national leadership in planning and developing improved driver education, licensing, enforcement, prosecution, judicial and post-adjudication efforts.
Impaired Driving – develops partnerships to cooperatively save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and economic costs resulting from impaired driving (alcohol and other drugs)
Motorcycles – through education, enforcement, outreach, and legislation, the safety initiatives focus on comprehensive
Occupant Protection – This involves the click it or ticket program. This division provides national leadership in planning and developing traffic injury control programs in the area of safety belt and child safety seat use, and automatic occupant protection systems.
Older Drivers – Through research and outreach programs this agency´s programs help aging individuals recognize their changing abilities and adapt their transportation practices appropriately.
Pedestrians – pedestrian safety programs are directed toward reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
Programs/Grants – Through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act Congress directed this organization to make available State Highway safety plans and annual accomplishment reports.
Research & Evaluation – Research and Evaluation program conducts research and evaluation projects dealing with behaviors and attitudes in highway safety.
Safe Communities – The safe community center provides information and technical assistance marketplace to advance Safe communities nationwide. It works to promote and implement a safer transportation system by combining the best injury prevention practices into the safe communities approach to serve as a model throughout the nation.
School Buses – This program is committed to reducing school bus-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities through both behavioral programs and vehicle regulations.
Teen Drivers – This program is a multi-tiered strategy to prevent motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries among teen drivers, increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated licensing, reducing teens´ access to alcohol, and parental responsibility.
Traffic Tech Publications – These publications encompass a variety of topics associated with highway safety and they can be ordered from the organization.
These topics and additional details can be accessed on the organization web site through the traffic safety tab at the top of the home page. The link is provided below:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
As you can see there is a broad scope of topics and activities performed by this agency. Some of which may not have been familiar as part of this organization. Some specifically are bicycles, safe communities and pedestrians. There is a wealth of information associated with traffic safety on the agency web site at the link provided above. Anyone interested should access it to learn more about what is being done and has been done.
This administration was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 to carry out programs previously administered by the Highway Safety Bureau. It directs several programs for highway safety established by acts of Congress. The mission of this administration is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. Three specific acts and all the succeeding amendments to them are administered by this administration. The first is the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. This act created the first mandatory federal safety standards for motor vehicles. Implementation authority was assigned to the Department of Commerce and, shortly thereafter, to the National Highway Safety Bureau within the newly formed Department of Transportation.
Another act which is administered by this agency is the Highway Safety act of 1966. This act established a coordinated national highway safety program to reduce the death toll on the nation´s roads. It authorized states to use federal funds to develop and strengthen their highway safety programs in accordance with uniform standards promulgated by the secretary of transportation.
The third act administered by this agency is the Motor Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972. It authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to establish cost-effective bumper performance standards for new cars manufactured in, or imported into, the United States. It also established a national prohibition against tampering with motor vehicle odometers. The act also authorizes the Secretary of Transportation under title II to conduct a study of the damage susceptibility, crashworthiness, and ease of diagnosis and repair among the various car makes and models.
The three acts identified above are only a small indication of the scope, responsibilities and involvement of this department associated with highway traffic and safety issues. Some of the topics and their focus which involve this agency are listed below:
Aggressive driving - defined by law enforcement and the judiciary occurring when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property."
Bicycles – The goals are directed toward reducing bicycle injuries and fatalities through education, research and enforcement.
Child Passenger Safety - has a campaign to help you properly choose and install correct safety seat for your child. There is a four step process provided on their web site for choosing the right safety seat for children.
Click it or ticket – This program is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign which is helping to create the highest national seat belt usage rate of 83 percent.
Disabled Drivers and Passengers – regulate the manufacture of automotive adaptive equipment and modified vehicles used by persons with disabilities.
Drowsy and Distracted Driving – A program to combat distracted and drowsy driving through educational and technological solutions.
Emergency Medical Services – the mission of this activity is to reduce death and disability by providing leadership and coordination to the EMS community in assessing, planning, developing, and promoting comprehensive, evidence-based emergency medical services and
9-1-1 systems.
Enforcement and Justice Services – provides national leadership in planning and developing improved driver education, licensing, enforcement, prosecution, judicial and post-adjudication efforts.
Impaired Driving – develops partnerships to cooperatively save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and economic costs resulting from impaired driving (alcohol and other drugs)
Motorcycles – through education, enforcement, outreach, and legislation, the safety initiatives focus on comprehensive
Occupant Protection – This involves the click it or ticket program. This division provides national leadership in planning and developing traffic injury control programs in the area of safety belt and child safety seat use, and automatic occupant protection systems.
Older Drivers – Through research and outreach programs this agency´s programs help aging individuals recognize their changing abilities and adapt their transportation practices appropriately.
Pedestrians – pedestrian safety programs are directed toward reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
Programs/Grants – Through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act Congress directed this organization to make available State Highway safety plans and annual accomplishment reports.
Research & Evaluation – Research and Evaluation program conducts research and evaluation projects dealing with behaviors and attitudes in highway safety.
Safe Communities – The safe community center provides information and technical assistance marketplace to advance Safe communities nationwide. It works to promote and implement a safer transportation system by combining the best injury prevention practices into the safe communities approach to serve as a model throughout the nation.
School Buses – This program is committed to reducing school bus-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities through both behavioral programs and vehicle regulations.
Teen Drivers – This program is a multi-tiered strategy to prevent motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries among teen drivers, increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated licensing, reducing teens´ access to alcohol, and parental responsibility.
Traffic Tech Publications – These publications encompass a variety of topics associated with highway safety and they can be ordered from the organization.
These topics and additional details can be accessed on the organization web site through the traffic safety tab at the top of the home page. The link is provided below:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
As you can see there is a broad scope of topics and activities performed by this agency. Some of which may not have been familiar as part of this organization. Some specifically are bicycles, safe communities and pedestrians. There is a wealth of information associated with traffic safety on the agency web site at the link provided above. Anyone interested should access it to learn more about what is being done and has been done.
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