TAMPA, Florida (Feb. 15, 2022) – Three exhibitors at ATSSA’s 52nd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo received Innovation Awards today in recognition of new products that contribute to the industry’s mission of advancing roadway safety and working Toward Zero Deaths.

The new products from 2021 were evaluated by a panel of judges made up of department of transportation personnel. Judges reviewed 14 items from companies across the U.S. and Canada as part of the New Products Rollout.

The Innovation Award winners were honored today during ATSSA’s Circle of Innovation where videos explaining their products were shown to the roadway safety infrastructure industry. Items were evaluated on the criteria of lifesaving qualities, degree of need, innovation, design and eligibility under the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Roadway Safety magazine’s Winter issue looks at supply chain issues and includes insights from ATSSA members as they grappled with the challenge over the past year.

The issue is now available online and also explores variable speed limit zones in place across the country and what different jurisdictions found as far as advantages and challenges.

You can also gain insights from outgoing ATSSA Board Chair Greg Driskell and get a peek into the perspective of incoming Chair Jeff Johnson.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 8, 2022) – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed today that he will deliver keynote remarks at ATSSA’s 52^nd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

Buttigieg is expected to discuss the National Roadway Safety Strategy released Jan. 27 by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as provide insights into the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) and its impact on roadway safety.

“We are honored that Transportation Secretary Buttigieg is making the time to address our members and we look forward to hearing his insights pertaining to roadway safety and how our industry can partner with USDOT to dramatically reduce roadway fatalities,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner.

Traffic fatalities increased 12% for the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, marking the biggest percentage increase in the history of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) fatality reporting process, which projects fatality data.

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) provides statistical projections for traffic fatalities nationwide, looking at the first nine months of the year in this report that provides an early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

The 12% increase is based on an estimated 31,720 people killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide in the first nine months of 2021 compared to 28,325 killed in the first nine months of 2020. That is the highest number of fatalities for nine months since 2006.

The National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) unveiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Thursday focuses on moving the U.S. towards zero roadway deaths by taking a safe systems approach that includes six central themes.

The themes laid out are that: deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable; human mistakes are inevitable; humans are vulnerable to injury and death; there is a shared responsibility for these incidents; safety can be and should be proactive; and redundancy is critical. The strategy introduced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also focuses on five safety issues.

“ATSSA applauds Secretary Buttigieg on the release of the first National Roadway Safety Strategy, especially with its call for the enhanced protection of roadway construction workers," ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner said. "Shining a brighter spotlight on the need to dramatically reduce roadway fatalities is critically necessary.”