USDOT commits to training 1 million first responders to improve road safety for emergency personnel, American families and truck drivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of Crash Responder Safety Week 2025, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Steven G. Bradbury, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today joined transportation safety and emergency response organizations to commit to training one million responders and reduce roadway injuries and fatalities.

Under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department of Transportation is prioritizing safety for law enforcement and first responders. More than 300 first responders have lost their lives responding to crashes in the last five years.

In 2012, FHWA launched Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training to teach police, firefighters, highway workers, emergency medical services, and towing personnel best practices for safe, coordinated crash response, quick scene clearance, improved communication, and preventing secondary crashes. More than 800,000 responders have been trained with TIM training. More information on TIM can be found here: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tim/training/

“The Trump Administration is committed to keeping our first responders and travelers on our nation’s roadways safe,” said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Steven Bradbury. “At USDOT, we are getting back to basics and advancing our top priority – transportation safety.”

“This week, the Trump Administration honors the brave men and women who have been injured or lost their lives while saving others on our roadways,” said Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster. “As we urge every driver to ‘Slow Down and Move Over,’ we are calling on states to help train one million crash responders so they are prepared to act safely.”

“Every responder on our roadways puts their life on the line to save others, and that sacrifice is met with wholehearted support from USDOT,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “FMCSA is committed to strengthening safety, expanding training, and holding unsafe operators accountable so emergency personnel can do their jobs and go home safely. Protecting those who protect us is not optional; it is our duty.”

“Far too many crash responders are killed on our roads every year by drivers failing to slow down, change lanes, and pay extra attention when passing vehicles on the roadside,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “Moving over doesn’t just save lives — it’s the law. We applaud the states that have expanded their safety laws to all vehicles stopped with flashing lights.”

Additional information on USDOT road safety initiatives:

FHWA

• Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies—SAFE ROADS—initiative is a nationwide roadway safety initiative that focuses on investments that improve mobility and safety on non-freeway arterial roads, which is where more than half of U.S. roadway fatalities occur. All states responded to Secretary Duffy’s request to participate in the SAFE ROADS initiative.
• FHWA’s Safe System Approach aims to help states, cities, and counties prevent crashes from happening in the first place and minimize the harm when crashes do occur.

FMCSA

• FMCSA's recently launched Crash Causal Factors Program (CCFP) analyzes crash, roadway, and vehicle data to identify the root causes of commercial motor vehicle crashes and target enforcement, training, and interventions that reduce serious injuries and fatalities. This data-driven effort will support a more strategic approach to compliance and safety investments.
• The SafeDRIVE initiative and the Operation Safe Driver campaign are multi-state efforts focused on reducing high-risk driving behaviors. Together, they help prevent crashes and reduce the number and severity of roadside incidents requiring emergency response.

NHTSA

• NHTSA’s Move Over Campaign is a statewide public awareness effort designed to educate drivers about the importance of moving over for stopped emergency and service vehicles. The campaign equips agencies and partner organizations with materials to promote safe driving behavior and compliance with state Move Over laws.

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