Behavioral Safety: A Global Benchmark to Inform U.S. Policy, Enforcement, and Public Awareness

Full Description:

Roadway safety remains a persistent challenge, but what can we learn by looking beyond our borders and across state lines?

Our recent assessment reveals that between 2016 and 2023, the U.S. reported approximately twice the motor vehicle fatalities per capita on average compared to peer nations like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Even when accounting for distance traveled, the U.S. averages 38 percent more fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles than the comparison countries.

To deliver actionable insights into these trends, our four-part study closely examined and compared domestic and international crash outcomes, policies, and enforcement methods to identify which interventions are most effective in reducing risky driving.

Key Takeaways from the Report:

• Unrestrained Occupants: This behavior remains the largest contributor relative to other risky driving factors, though states utilizing primary seat belt enforcement generally report lower shares of unrestrained occupant deaths.

• Speeding: From 2010–2024, speeding-related deaths represented an average of 28.6 percent of U.S. motor vehicle fatalities, emphasizing the need to consider automated speed enforcement and appropriate speed limits.

• Impaired Driving: Alcohol-impaired fatalities represented roughly 30 percent of U.S. traffic deaths (more than double the peer nation average), while drug impairment is becoming increasingly complex to measure and detect.

• Fatigued Driving: While reported fatigue-related fatalities make up a relatively small share of deaths, limitations in current detection methods likely mean the issue is underreported.

As Elizabeth Krear, President and CEO of CAR, notes: “Reducing roadway fatalities requires more than identifying the behaviors that contribute to crashes. This research looks at what governments in the United States and abroad are doing differently and where the evidence points to opportunities for improvement.”

Our comparative analysis demonstrates that roadway safety outcomes are influenced not just by the existence of a policy, but by how consistently it is implemented, enforced, communicated, and evaluated.