US Faces Growing Crisis Over High Traffic Deaths, NTSB Chair Says
In September, the department estimated 18,720 people died in motor-vehicle traffic crashes during the first six months of 2024, down 3.2% from the first half of 2023. The 2024 first-half total is still higher, however, than pre-pandemic levels, when just over 17,000 people were killed in the first half of 2019.
GM self-driving division submitted false report, faces fine
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving unit, has admitted to submitting false information to federal regulators and agreed to pay a US$500,000 fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. In September, Cruise agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine related to another NHTSA investigation.
USDOT’s ITS JPO releases ITS survey for transportation planners
The 2023 ITS Deployment Tracking Survey, released by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), provides new insights into how transportation agencies are implementing smart technology on freeways, arterial roads, and transit systems. It has expanded its scope to include rural and smaller urban areas for the first time since the survey’s inception in 1999.
NOAA, U.S. Department of Transportation team up to advance climate-smart transportation
Transportation sector officials will have easier access to climate and environmental information, along with technical assistance, thanks to a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
Four New Technologies Added for 2026 Crash Safety Ratings
In addition to the five-star crash test ratings, the agency will add four new technologies: pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind spot warning, and intervention if a driver tries to move toward a vehicle in a blind spot.