Schakowsky Statement on Traffic Fatalities Reaching 16-Year High

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the following statement after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released early estimates that in 2021, traffic fatalities reached a 16-year high:

"The 2021 data on traffic fatalities from NHTSA shows that our nation is suffering from an automobile safety crisis. Almost 43,000 lives were lost on our nation's roads last year in vehicle crashes; a 16-year high and 18 percent increase over 2019.

"For years, I have heard the heartbreaking stories of families impacted by crashes and unsafe vehicles. This dramatic rise in fatalities underscores the urgency of my continued work in Congress to make our cars and our roads safer. The Infrastructure Law passed last November makes historic improvements to vehicle safety. It will require lifesaving safety assistance technologies on all new cars, prevent drunk and impaired driving, and curb the epidemic of hot car deaths. The Infrastructure Law is not the end of the road. These provisions must be quickly implemented by NHTSA and I will continue my fight to require lifesaving standards and technologies to protect every American on our roads."

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