National Safety Council News

Opioids, Distracted Driving Cited in Rise of Preventable Accidents

More than 130,000 Americans are killed annually by preventable causes, and the number has been climbing at a faster rate recently because of opioid abuse and car crashes involving drivers distracted by mobile devices. The death count jumped more than …

How States Rate in Preventing Home, Auto, Work Accidents

No state goes far enough to protect its residents from leading causes of preventable deaths and injuries – commonly known as “accidents” – on the road, in homes and communities and at work, according to the National Safety Council. Despite …

New York Eyes ‘Textalyzer’ to Combat Distracted Driving

Ben Lieberman just wanted to find out what may have caused the head-on collision that killed his 19-year-old son, Evan, on a highway north of New York City. It took a lawsuit and six months in court to get the …

70% of Employers Say Prescription Drug Abuse Affects Workplace

More than 70 percent of United States employers are feeling the direct impact of prescription drug misuse in their workplaces, according to a survey from the National Safety Council. The survey, How the Prescription Drug Crisis Is Impacting American Employers, …

Lucky to Be Alive, Calling for a Revolution in Road Safety

Three weeks ago, I was walking home on a dark, snowy night in Concord, Massachusetts. The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital, hooked up to some kind of machine. I could not lift my legs or even …

Driver Deaths Rose 6% in 2016, Topping 40,000

U.S. motor vehicle accident deaths last year topped 40,000 for the first time since 2007 as cheap gasoline and a healthy economy encouraged motorists to drive more, according to new estimates released by the National Safety Council. Roadside fatalities last …

Safety Advocates Frustrated that Accident-Prevention Technologies Remain Optional

Computerized sensors that warn drivers they’re about to rear-end another vehicle or prevent other types of accidents are available on models made by every major auto manufacturer. The problem, according to a U.S. safety agency and accident-prevention advocates, is that …

U.S. Autonomous Vehicle Policy Attempts to Straddle Lanes of Safety and Innovation

The new U.S. policy on self-driving cars received a mixed reaction from highway-safety advocates who acknowledged the life-saving potential though warned of a world of “human guinea pigs.” The Transportation Department’s new guidelines give carmakers and states “the green light …

Traffic Fatalities Continue to Rise; Up 9% in First Half of Year

Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths were 9 percent higher through the first six months of 2016 than in 2015, and 18 percent higher than two years ago at the six month mark. An estimated …

Safety Officials: Higher Speeds Causing More Traffic Fatalities in Illinois

Safety and insurance industry experts say Illinois traffic fatalities are expected to pass 1,000 this year for the first time since 2008 because of higher speeds, more miles driven and an increase in the number of younger drivers on the …