Safety
Let’s save lives.
Motor vehicle accidents remain a significant public safety challenge; however, there are encouraging signs of progress, thanks to advancements in technology and a focused effort on safety.
Based on preliminary data and estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 39,345 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2024.
This number represents a decrease of about 3.8% compared to the 40,901 fatalities reported in 2023. The 2024 projection marks the first time since 2020 that the number of traffic fatalities in the U.S. has fallen below 40,000. While the overall trend is positive, safety remains a top priority for mobility.
Work Zone Safety
Highway construction zones present a unique and dangerous combination of hazards that contribute to traffic accidents and fatalities. Driver error is the leading cause of work zone crashes and the majority of lives lost are motorists and passengers. The dynamic environment, changing traffic patterns, and presence of heavy equipment create a high-risk scenario.
Large trucks and commercial vehicles are disproportionately involved in fatal work zone crashes. While they make up a smaller percentage of the total vehicles on the road, their size, weight, and operational limitations make them particularly dangerous in the confined and dynamic environment of a construction zone.
The Road to Safer Transportation
Technology is a critical component of improving transportation safety. Vehicle and infrastructure technologies are evolving to mitigate human error and prevent accidents. The Ray is focusing on to help improve safety outcomes include:
Advanced Data Analytics: Taking a proactive approach, synced systems can be stacked to monitor road user behavior, help optimize road design and redirect traffic flow to prevent incidents before they occur. The Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) is a U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) initiative to standardize and streamline the sharing of information about highway construction zones.
Connectivity and Automation: The future of transportation safety lies in connected vehicles and automated systems. Technologies like 5G-enabled communication and are being developed to help reduce the risks of distracted driving and other common human errors, creating a more cohesive and protected environment paving the way for future Drone-as-First-Responder (DFR) programs to enhance emergency response.
Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X): Enhancing safety by providing a "sixth sense" for vehicles, allowing them to "see" and "think" beyond what on-board sensors like cameras and radar can detect is already revolutionizing commercial fleet management systems. This emerging technology not only improves remote diagnostics, its efficiency enables platooning so trucks can drive in a close, coordinated convoy to save fuel.