1999 FHWA Annual Report - Safety 8 of 16 Safety Continually improve highway safety. Safety on our highways is our top priority. Tragically, more than 41,000 Americans die and 3.5 million are injured in motor vehicle accidents on our highways each year. As more people travel more miles on the highways, and as the demographics of our driving population change, significant improvements in highway safety are essential to continue our progress in reducing highway fatalities and injuries.
Safety is a key objective in all programs and activities.
FHWA works in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and other public and private organizations to achieve our safety goals. FHWA saves lives by improving the infrastructure and operations of our highways, by minimizing factors that cause accidents, and by reducing the severity of injuries for accidents that do occur. Our success is measured over time. When it comes to safety, success is a relative concept. Although tens of thousands of lives have been saved by highway improvements, the fact that we still have fatalities and injuries compels FHWA to continue its efforts.