Improving Traffic Safety at the 2026 World Traffic Safety Symposium
I covered the 2026 World Traffic Safety Symposium at the New York International Auto Show this April. The symposium discussed the holistic safety and mobility of motor vehicles.
Mark Scheinberg, President of the Greater New York Automotive Dealers Association and the New York International Auto Show, opened the symposium.
Guest Speakers included:
John Bozzella, President & CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board, Dr. Jeffrey Runge, former NHTSA Administrator, John Adkins, CEO, Governors Highway Safety Association, Mark F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS DMV, Governor’s Representative for Highway Safety, and many others.
Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board, shared that there are 110 deaths per day in the United States from automobile crashes and that 95 percent of all deaths from planes, trains, and automobiles are from automobiles. I was shocked to hear this statistic! Some of the crashes were caused by the NTSB’s safety recommendations being ignored.
To help remedy the situation, the NTSB chair advocated for the implementation of safety technology in automobiles, such as alcohol detection and speed monitoring. Alcohol use while driving accounted for 12,000 deaths in the US. 11,00 deaths are the result of speeding, and 3,000 deaths are the result of distracted driving.
The NTSB chair stated that drug use while driving has skyrocketed with the legalization of Marijuana in some states. The NTSB chair recommended bringing driver safety education back. She said that people don’t read owner manuals in cars, and they don’t know about the operating mechanics of automation in cars. The more you use automation in a car, the more distracted you are. 97 percent of traffic crashes are caused by human factors. Auto deaths have dropped to 39500, but it is still too high! This is a 6 percent decline despite vehicles being safe.
Dr. Runge said that automotive safety is a team sport with automakers, auto dealers, states, law enforcement, and traffic enforcement working together to address the problem.
Jon Adkins highlights that bike lane advocacy in NYC has led to a decrease in bike fatalities over the past 3 years.
Marketing Schroder, NYS DMW Commissioner and CGTSC Chair, shared his commitment to road safety in New York State. He described the various task forces working to make roads safer for drivers and pedestrians. He also shared his work making the NYSDMV more efficient.
A new computer system was implemented at NYS DMV over a 4-year project, replacing 96 data lines. Since the Rockefeller administration, there has been only 1 dedicated data line used to process information and transactions. This also improved the customer experience at the DMV, reducing wait times from 2 to 3 hours to 15 minutes to do a transaction. Auto dealers do 1 million transactions with the NYS DMV.
Marketing Schroder, NYS DMW Commissioner, shared how New York is applying stricter enforcement against dangerous drivers
Alcohol and drug convictions now carry an 11-point penalty on your license, with an automatic suspension; previously, no points were added.
Teaming up with law enforcement and the community to reduce drug and alcohol impaired driving, the NYS DMV, DOT, and NYSP are coordinating and improving traffic safety.
The 2026 World Traffic Safety Symposium highlighted issues, insights, and solutions to improve traffic safety.