WH says Dept. of Transportation has a plan to reduce traffic deaths

Responding to a question from Yahoo News Senior White House Correspondent Alexander Nazaryan on Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Department of Transportation has initiated the National Roadway Safety Strategy in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths on U.S. roadways.

Video transcript

- The United States, as you know, has a far higher incidence of car fatalities, both of drivers and pedestrians and cyclists, than almost all-- I think all other [INAUDIBLE] nations. And we're about to enter the most dangerous time of the year for car accidents, the summer months. Has this administration done enough on that front? Or has maybe the, I don't know, the automotive, the highway lobby sort of had its way, as it has had with many other administrations?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So, look-- and you're right, we face a crisis here in America when it comes to-- when it comes to driving, passengers-- drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists. Each year, more than 40,000 people have to-- die in these types of crashes. And so-- and this is comparable to gun deaths. And it should not be this way. So the Department of Transportation launched a national roadway safety strategy in early of 2022 to tackle this type of crisis at every level.

And so while it's encouraging to see the deaths level has kind of-- the death leveling off somewhat in the last two quarters, because we have seen that occur, it is no time to let up. And so we're going to-- DOT is going to continue to take major steps to keep people safe. And I think that's important. Again, they have put a plan together to try to tackle this incredibly unfortunate situation.