CTDOT eAlert: News from the Connecticut Department of Transportation

Web Version     Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Giulietti Urges Connecticut Residents and Visitors to Help Prevent Crashes that Result in Deaths and Serious Injuries with 'Toward Zero Deaths' Campaign Posted on May 19 , 2021 Connecticut Department of Transportation and partners statewide launch new awareness campaign to promote an enhanced culture of safety and reach the goal of zero deaths on Connecticut's highways. Commissioner Joseph Giulietti of the Connecticut Department of Transportation urged Connecticut residents and visitors to make highway safety a priority as he announced Connecticut's participation in the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) campaign as part of the 2021 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). TZD is a national strategy on highway safety that uses a unified approach to change driver behavior and improve highway safety with a goal of reducing the number of traffic-related serious injuries or deaths to zero. In 2020, with help from safety partners across the state, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) developed a new roadmap for the future of transportation safety, the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The SHSP leverages those partnerships to coordinate education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response initiatives to build and enhance a culture of safety and provide a safe transportation system. "The safety of all who travel in and through Connecticut is a top priority," said Joseph Giulietti, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. "When anyone uses the transportation system, whether driving a car or riding a motorcycle, walking or cycling, driving a truck or riding a bus – our goal is for everyone to arrive safely at their destination, every trip, every time." Developing the SHSP roadmap is critical as more and more states, cities, and local communities work to prevent roadway crashes, which claimed 37,133 lives in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So far, more than 45 states, along with dozens of local and tribal agencies, have adopted a zero-fatalities goal such as Toward Zero Deaths. Safety officials, however, acknowledge that it is not enough to say "zero" is the only acceptable number. That's why the SHSP provides guidance for organizations and individuals to implement to help create a culture of safety throughout Connecticut. "In 2020, Connecticut saw 308 lives lost on our roads and highways, the highest level in a decade. The preliminary CTDOT data shows there were 83,664 motor vehicle crashes in Connecticut. Sadly, of those motor vehicle crashes, 293 were fatal crashes. One death is too many," said Garrett Eucalitto, Deputy Commissioner, CTDOT and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont's Highway Safety Representative. "Zero is not an impossible goal for Connecticut drivers. It will take all of us to get there and that's why the SHSP Toward Zero Deaths roadmap was developed, to ensure each of these zero-based plans—and those to come—are fully implemented so that we reverse this trend and save lives." For more information, visit Connecticut's Strategic Highway Safety Plan Toward Zero Deaths. Connecticut Department of Transportation 2800 Berlin Turnpike P.O. Box 317546 Newington, CT 06131-7546 860-594-2000 Twitter You're receiving this email because you opted in to receive notices from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Edit your subscription Unsubscribe instantly