Early in 2022, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) put out a call to action in response to an alarming trend in national traffic-accident fatalities. "We need government at all levels, law enforcement, industry, non-profit and advocacy organizations, researchers, and roadway users themselves to do their part… to make our streets safer for people," the agency said. In addition to the potential loss of life, traffic accidents impact insurers and insureds — even those who never crashed a vehicle — as the consumer cost for motor vehicle insurance rose 40.5% between 2012 and 2021, according to the Triple I. The government statistics from the DOT highlighted in the slideshow above reveal just how serious the traffic fatality issue has become in the U.S. The DOT outlined the following principles as part of its Safe System approach to reducing vehicle crash deaths:

1. Death and serious injuries are unacceptable. A Safe System approach prioritizes the elimination of crashes that result in death and serious injuries.
2. Humans make mistakes. People will inevitably make mistakes and decisions that can lead or contribute to crashes, but the transportation system can be designed and operated to accommodate certain types and levels of human mistakes, and avoid death and serious injuries when a crash occurs.
3. Humans are vulnerable. Human bodies have physical limits for tolerating crash forces before death or serious injury occurs; therefore, it is critical to design and operate a transportation system that is human-centric and accommodates physical human vulnerabilities.
4. Responsibility is shared. All stakeholders — including government at all levels, industry, non-profit/advocacy, researchers, and the general public — are vital to preventing fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways.
5. Safety is proactive. Proactive tools should be used to identify and address safety issues in the transportation system, rather than waiting for crashes to occur and reacting afterwards.
6. Redundancy is crucial. Reducing risks requires that all parts of the transportation system be strengthened, so that if one part fails, the other parts still protect people.

The Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 31,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes for the first nine months of 2021, rising about 12% from the 28,325 fatalities projected for the first nine months of 2020, as reported by the Triple I in a recent blog post on the topic. "We cannot and should not accept these fatalities as simply a part of everyday life in America," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "No one will accomplish this alone. It will take all levels of government, industries, advocates, engineers and communities across the country working together toward the day when family members no longer have to say good-bye to loved ones because of a traffic crash." The principles outlined above spurred the following policy objectives:

• Safer people: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.
• Safer roads: Design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes and account for injury tolerances, to encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users.
• Safer vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants.
• Safer speeds:  Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, context-appropriate roadway design, targeted education and outreach campaigns, and enforcement.
• Post-crash care: Enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care, while creating a safe working environment for vital first responders and preventing secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.

"This is a crisis," Buttigieg said when outlining the DOT's action steps to curb auto accident deaths. "We cannot and should not accept these fatalities as simply a part of everyday life in America." See also:

• IIHS: 10 cars with the highest collision losses
• How an accident claim affects rates with the largest auto insurers
• Worst states for drivers after an automobile crash or theft