One of the organizations in place to help maintain traffic safety in the U.S. over the years has been the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has developed safety programs to promote safe driving and prevent mechanical faults from making vehicles unsafe to operate.
There are several ways in which the NHTSA has helped make the roads safer for drivers and pedestrians.
What Exactly Is the NHTSA?
The NHTSA began with the introduction of the Highway Safety Act of 1970. Prior to the NHTSA, the National Highway Safety Bureau was the chief organization in place to facilitate traffic safety. The National Highway Safety Bureau was responsible for deploying safety programs in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, along with the Highway Safety Act of 1966.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson officially put both the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and Highway Safety Act into effect. What came out of those Acts was the National Highway Safety Bureau. The NHTSA would follow with the inception of the Highway Safety Act of 1970 just four years later. In addition to the 1970 Highway Safety Act, the NHTSA carries out programs in place under the Motor Vehicle and Cost Savings Act of 1972.
The goal of the NHTSA is to protect drivers, passengers, and pedestrians from accidents by taking a number of steps, including:
- Identifying and eliminating vehicle defects
- Promoting new innovations in traffic safety, including safety technology on trucks
- Establishing strict safety standards for cars and trucks
- Educating people to help them make safe decisions whether driving, riding, or walking
What the NHTSA Does
The NHTSA has helped make the roads safer for everyone. There are several ways the organization has helped improve safety over the years.
One of the biggest changes the NHTSA made was the delivery of congressionally allocated funds to the States, which helped them address individual issues pertaining to traffic safety. The NHTSA collaborates with both State and local law enforcement to provide roadway safety programs designed to meet each state and municipality’s needs.
For instance, there are programs in place to help eliminate drunk, drugged, and distracted driving, along with programs to promote the proper use of child car seats. Some NHTSA-implement programs that people may recognize include “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” and “Click It or Ticket.”
In addition, the NHTSA has helped promote the use of innovative technology for the purpose of making vehicles safer to operate. The organization is responsible for investigating and identifying potential safety defects and the recall of vehicles or defective products.
Today, the NHTSA continues to work to protect everyone who uses America’s roads through programs and technological innovations. Due to the NHTSA’s efforts, drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are consistently safer.
