The last official annual tally of U.S. traffic fatalities shows that 37,133 people lost their lives in 2017. Mike Tooley, Director of the Montana Department of Transportation and chairman of AASHTO’s Committee on Safety calls the number “shocking”. Tooley, a former state trooper who rose through the ranks to become Chief of the Montana Highway Patrol, says he’s witnessed the carnage up close. As chief Tooley also says he’s had to bury Troopers who were accidently struck and killed while making routine traffic stops. Studies show that the vast majority of traffic crashes, 93% — are caused by human error. What can be done? In this video Tooley talks about prevention and the need to focus on what he says are the four E’s. He also explains why Montana has joined a national highway safety campaign called Vision Zero and what other states can do to bring their number of traffic fatalities down the ultimate goal, zero deaths.
