The partners will develop a new “systematic approach” to eliminate driving risks while initially promoting established methods such as encouraging seatbelt use and truck safety, according to a statement. It will also work on how automated vehicle technologies and road infrastructure can be shaped to improve safety, according to the statement.
NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind has made addressing the “human factors” that regulators say are responsible for some 94 percent of all traffic deaths a major focus of what will likely be his final year at the agency’s helm. In August, the agency issued what it called an “unprecedented” call for help from researchers, tech companies and others to better understand crash causes and prevention methods.
“Every single death on our roadways is a tragedy,” Rosekind said in a statement. “We can prevent them. Our drive toward zero deaths is more than just a worthy goal. It is the only acceptable goal.”