This Administration is dedicated to providing a citizen centered, results oriented, and market based government. To that end, the Department of Transportation has set priorities of safety and security, growing transportation system capacity, and fostering competition. Consistent with these values, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) FY 2003 Budget request of $430 million supports programs that will improve the Nation’s safety on the highways – a rapidly growing transportation sector. NHTSA’s vehicle and behavioral programs are coordinated to reduce the numbers of highway-related fatalities and injuries and associated traffic-related health care and other economic costs to our citizens. The agency mandate to protect Americans in the face of ever-increasing motor vehicle traffic is carried out using national programs in education, engineering, and enforcement directed toward reducing the number and severity of crashes and mitigating their consequences when they do occur.
NHTSA’s programs have proven to have a significant effect on decreasing highway traffic-related injuries and their adverse economic impact. As a result, traffic fatalities decreased from 51,091 in 1980 to 41,821 in 2000, even as vehicle miles have increased by 80 percent over the same period. Despite this track record, the decline in highway fatality and injury rates has slowed and the total number of highway fatalities actually increased in 1999 and in 2000. In particular, motorcycle fatalities have increased 15 percent since1999. Fortunately, seat belt use, one of the agency’s top priorities has increased to a record level of 73 percent in 2001.
Much more needs to be done, and NHTSA is dedicated to meeting the challenges. The American people expect the government to assure their safety on the highways. NHTSA is responding to the public’s insistence on safer vehicle travel, and is taking the lead in developing programs and supporting proven programs. The FY 2003 budget request includes a strong commitment to restraint use and sober driving, changing dangerous driver behaviors, improving vehicle crashworthiness, and sustaining research activities to support the agency’s behavioral and vehicular programs.
Throughout FY 2003, NHTSA will continue partnerships with the States, the private sector, and the American public to implement plans and coalitions in efforts to reduce impaired driving, pass primary enforcement laws, increase enforcement of current laws, and expand public education on the benefits of child safety seat and seat belt use.
We are confident that the FY 2003 performance-based, results-oriented budget will provide our citizens with programs that will better meet the Nation’s priority of safe transportation.
Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D.