METRO Joins National Call to Action to End Roadway Deaths

U.S. traffic deaths remain historically high. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported more than 46,000 lives lost from motor vehicle crashes in 2022. Reversing the crisis requires action from a broad coalition of stakeholders, including government, advocacy organizations, and private companies.

In May, METRO made headlines after it announced that it joined a new U.S. Department of Transportation initiative to reduce U.S. traffic deaths. The Authority’s response to the call to action caught the attention of a local news network. KPRC Channel 2 invited METRO Chief Safety Officer Santiago Osorio to an in-studio interview to discuss the National Roadway Strategy (NRSS) and METRO’s plan to support it.

During the interview, Osorio touched on some sobering local statistics.

“There were more than 300 deaths and 1,600 serious injuries in this city from motor vehicle crashes in 2022,” said Osorio. “What is especially troubling is that many of these crashes are preventable. Too often, they were the result of speed, dangerous driving behaviors, or impaired driving.”

In the News: METRO's response to the USDOT's call to action caught the attention of a local news network, KPRC Channel 2.

The NRSS is a roadmap for addressing the national crisis. The five-prong approach aims to significantly reduce serious injuries and deaths on the nation's highways, roads, and streets by prioritizing actions that target the most urgent and significant issues currently compromising roadway safety.

As part of the campaign, METRO is committed to supporting USDOT's Safe System Approach through the following actions:

• Continued support of Vision Zero initiatives. METRO has been a proud partner of Vision Zero Houston since 2020. In addition to efforts to "shift the paradigm" of traffic safety culture, the Authority continuously works with organizations to improve the safety of the region's roadways.
• Campaigns aimed at educating the public and agency employees, such as "Commit to Being a Safe Driver" and "Respect the Rail" — efforts to promote safe driving and speed safety awareness.
• Advancing initiatives to prioritize safety and accessibility in street and transit facility design for people of all ages and abilities.
• METRO will also continue to explore new ways to support safe mobility for all road users as part of its mission to provide safe, clean, reliable, accessible, and friendly transportation services to a diverse population.

Osorio said that Houstonians deserve to move around the city with dignity, without fear of being hit while crossing a street or walking on a sidewalk.

"No one should have to worry about their child getting to school or a grandparent getting to a doctor's appointment," he said. "In addition to our ongoing efforts in transit safety, we're also working to spread the word about the impacts these serious crashes have on the victims, their families, and the region."