US$1 billion to improve US road safety

A US$1 billion budget from the US Department of Transportation will help to boost road safety. A series of upgrade works will be carried out across the US aiming to reduce the high rate of deaths and serious injuries (KSIs) from road crashes.

There has been an improvement in road safety for 2024 in the US however. There were 18,720 road deaths in the US in the first six months of 2024, a drop of 3.2% compared to the 19,330 road deaths in the US during the first six months of 2023.

The US does not have a good record for road safety compared with other developed nations in Europe or Japan or Australia for example. Poor driver training, high levels of DUI and speeding and a lack of regular vehicle checks in many states have contributed to high crash rates. During the COVID-19 crisis when road journeys were reduced due to travel restrictions, crash rates dropped in virtually all countries in the world. But in the US, the COVID-19 crisis saw a rapid spike in DUI and speeding offences that increased road crash rates, deaths and serious injuries. Some states have particularly poor records for road safety. Texas has topped the list for DUI offences while Florida and North Carolina for example also very poor road safety standards and high levels of KSIs. New York State by contrast is amongst the US states with the best road safety standards.

A budget of $20 million is being put towards boosting safety for Chicago’s North Avenue corridor. Meanwhile, $15 million will be used to upgrade 15 intersections in Savannah, Georgia.