SAFE ROADS
Summary
On July 1, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy launched a nationwide roadway safety initiative to prioritize investments that improve mobility and safety on roadways. In a letter to every governor, Secretary Duffy asked that their states participate in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies—SAFE ROADS—initiative. The program targets non-freeway arterial roads, which is where more than half of U.S. roadway deaths occur.
In 2023, over half of all the roadway fatalities in the U.S. occur on non-freeway/expressway arterials (functionally classified as ‘other principal arterial’ or ‘minor arterial’), based on data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Nearly two-thirds of the fatalities that occurred on non-freeway/expressway arterials were pedestrians. FHWA provides information on pedestrian safety, intersection safety, arterial management operations strategies, proven safety countermeasures, and traffic control devices to address common safety and mobility challenges.
Resources
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to Governors: Roads are for Safety, Not Politics (Press Release)
Roadway Safety Data Program | FHWA
Road Safety Audits (RSA) | FHWA
Pedestrian Safety | FHWA
Intersection Safety | FHWA
Proven Safety Countermeasures | FHWA