With roadway fatalities climbing to alarming levels, a new report has emerged as a pressing call to action. The 2025 “Roadmap to Safety” assesses the strides made by 50 states and D.C. towards enacting 18 traffic safety laws aimed at curbing crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
The report highlights significant differences in how states have engaged with safety legislation. Six states, including Louisiana and Maryland, alongside Washington D.C., earned a top “green” rating, indicating they lead in adopting essential safety laws. In contrast, nine states such as Idaho and Michigan received a “red” rating, highlighting their considerable lag in implementing recommended laws.
The remaining 35 states find themselves in the “yellow” category, signaling an urgent need for progress. These ratings, presented by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety during a recent press conference, are intended to motivate legislative bodies and the Department of Transportation to close dangerous loopholes in traffic safety.
Cathy Chase, president of Advocates, emphasized the daily risk faced by millions who take to the roads, remarking on the average of 116 lives lost and over 6,500 injuries occurring every day due to vehicular accidents. With effective strategies within reach, the report aims to reverse the dire trajectory of these incidents.
The states were judged across six categories – occupant protection, child passenger safety, young drivers, impaired driving, distracted driving, and automated enforcement targeting speed and red-light running. No state has yet adopted all 18 recommended measures, which range from comprehensive seatbelt laws to all-driver text messaging bans.
Tragically, in 2022 alone, over 42,500 people perished in traffic mishaps, with a further 2.38 million suffering injuries. This stark reality is compounded by a fatality rate nearly 18% higher than pre-pandemic levels. The report cites speeding, impaired driving, distractions, and failure to use seat belts as primary contributors.
The economic burden is equally staggering, with the annual crash cost surpassing $400 billion. Advocates stress the importance of state leaders seizing available measures to save lives, calling for immediate action to implement effective traffic laws.
The 2025 Roadmap to Safety urges immediate legislative action across the U.S., highlighting existing gaps in traffic safety laws. With the lives of thousands at stake, the report calls for critical reforms to prevent further tragedies on the nation’s roadways.
Source: Forbes
