One in Three Americans Cite Crashes as Top Safety Concern: New Data Offers Reason for Optimism

The 2026 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, conducted by Gallup, found that one in three U.S. adults (34%) identify road-related accidents as the daily safety risk they’re most concerned about, making roadway crashes Americans’ top everyday safety concern.

It’s a telling finding, but perhaps not a surprising one.

Road safety touches nearly everyone, every day. Whether driving to work, walking across an intersection, waiting for a school bus, or traveling through a construction zone, millions of Americans interact with the transportation system as part of their daily routine. Unlike many other safety concerns, the risks associated with our roads are both highly visible and deeply personal.

The encouraging news is that recent data suggests the nation is moving in the right direction.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 36,640 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2025, a 6.7% decrease from the previous year. Traffic fatalities also declined across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, even as vehicle miles traveled increased. It’s an encouraging sign that years of investment in roadway safety are beginning to make a measurable difference.

However, progress doesn’t mean the work is finished. More than 36,000 lives lost in a single year is still too high, and compared with many peer nations, the United States continues to lag behind in roadway safety outcomes. The Gallup findings underscore that reality. Even as the numbers improve, Americans continue to view roadway crashes as one of the greatest risks they face in everyday life.

Progress Requires More Than One Solution

One reason roadway safety remains such a complex challenge is that there is no single cause and no single solution.

As our The Next Era of Road Safety white paper highlights, meaningful safety improvements come from a layered approach that combines safer roads, safer speeds, education, engineering, technology, and thoughtful policy. At the center of those efforts is a challenge every community shares: encouraging safer driver behavior.

Speeding, distraction, impairment, and red-light running continue to contribute to serious crashes, despite widespread public awareness of their dangers. These risky driving behaviors remain one of the most difficult variables to change, even as vehicles and infrastructure continue to improve.

That’s why transportation agencies across the country are increasingly embracing the Safe System approach, which recognizes that people will make mistakes and that the transportation system should be designed to reduce the likelihood that those mistakes result in serious injury or death. Rather than relying on a single intervention, the approach brings together infrastructure, education, policy, technology, and post-crash care to create a more comprehensive approach to roadway safety.

Communities Are Demonstrating What Works

Communities making measurable progress aren’t relying on a single tool. They’re combining data-driven decision-making with thoughtful policy, community engagement, and targeted safety interventions.

Washington, D.C., for example, has integrated speed safety cameras, red-light cameras and school bus stop-arm cameras into its road safety approach. Data shows that the speed cameras reduced crashes by 30% within one year of installation, and that 70% of drivers who received a speed camera citation in 2023 did not receive a second violation.

San Francisco paired its new speed safety program with warning periods, human review, privacy protections and income-based fine reductions, reinforcing that the goal is behavior change rather than punishment. After one year, the city reported an 80% decline in speeding at the 33 locations where cameras were installed.

Hawaii is taking a statewide approach to automated enforcement. Early results from Oahu’s red-light safety program showed a 62% decline in daily red-light-running violations and a 76% reduction in the rate of major crashes.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, has demonstrated how revenue from automated speed enforcement can be reinvested into traffic-calming projects and other roadway improvements, helping strengthen public trust by ensuring safety programs directly support safer streets.

Although every community’s needs are different, these examples share several common characteristics: they use data to identify where risk is greatest, measure outcomes over time, and continually refine programs based on results.

Building Public Trust Is Essential

The Gallup findings highlight an important reality: even as recent data points to meaningful progress, roadway safety remains Americans’ top daily safety concern. As communities continue investing in roadway safety, building public trust through transparency and measurable results becomes an essential part of long-term success.

Successful roadway safety programs are transparent about why they’re deployed, how locations are selected, and how data is collected, protected, and ultimately deleted. Many also include human review before citations are issued, clear appeal processes, warning periods, and public reporting on safety outcomes. These measures demonstrate that the goal isn’t to issue more citations – it’s to encourage safer driving behaviors and prevent crashes.

Just as importantly, agencies have an opportunity to share the results of these efforts. When communities can see measurable reductions in speeding, repeat violations, and crashes, they gain a clearer understanding of how data-driven safety programs contribute to broader roadway safety goals. Transparency, accountability, and ongoing communication help build confidence that these programs are designed to protect people and support safer communities.

Turning Concern into Continued Progress

The Gallup poll sends a clear message: Americans view roadway safety as an issue that directly affects their daily lives.

The good news is that recent progress demonstrates that meaningful improvement is possible. Fatalities are declining, communities are embracing more comprehensive safety strategies, and transportation leaders have more tools than ever to identify risks and respond effectively.

The opportunity now is to build on that momentum. Achieving safer roads will require continued investment in data-driven decision-making, thoughtful public policy, modern technology, and public trust. No single strategy will eliminate roadway fatalities overnight, but by combining proven solutions and focusing on long-term behavior change, communities can continue moving toward the shared goal of making every trip safer for everyone.

For more information on how automated enforcement makes roads safer, visit: www.verramobility.com/government