NHTSA Staff Reduction: Implications for Road Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will reduce over 28% of its staff — from 772 to 555 people. This will happen through financial incentive programs that encourage people to resign voluntarily. NHTSA is known for its work on recalling dangerous vehicles, but it is also involved in accident investigations and informing about road risks.
Similar reductions will affect other agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, where staff will be reduced by more than 25%. The U.S. Department of Transportation as a whole will lose 4,138 employees. Although Transportation Secretary Shawn Duffy assures that key safety-related positions will not be cut, experts are concerned about NHTSA’s future.
Threat of Additional Budget Cuts
“Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of preventable deaths”
Road safety groups have warned of the danger of further NHTSA budget cuts proposed in the 2026 bill. This involves a reduction in funding of over $10 million, which could impact research, accident data collection, and road safety improvement programs. Approximately 44,000 people die in traffic accidents in the U.S. each year, with another 2.6 million injured.
The reductions could lead to the loss of experienced specialists, further weakening the agency’s capabilities. Experts say NHTSA is already significantly weakened, and further changes could affect the safety of millions of drivers and passengers. This is especially important against the backdrop of increasing numbers of vehicles and new technologies that require careful monitoring.