On Tuesday, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released their new set of recommended actions to support more equitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
The 10 recommendations were developed by consulting firm Kimley-Horn to help broaden the reach of the country’s highway safety programs by eliminating racial disparities in traffic safety engagement and enforcement.
“GHSA is committed to taking meaningful steps to eliminate racial disparities in traffic enforcement and to make our nation’s highway safety programs more just and equitable for all road users,” said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “Our goal is to prevent motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths, but that is unobtainable as long as racial disparities exist. These recommendations are another step forward in our ongoing journey to ensure traffic safety programs work for everyone.”
The recommendations included promoting the collection and analysis of racial data for every traffic stop, supporting increased funding for racial profiling data collection, supporting increased use of automated enforcement, establishing promising practices guide for State Highway Safety Offices, and encouraging broader community involvement in the highway safety planning process, among others.
Kimley-Horn developed the recommendations after reviewing national best practices, interviewing SHSO leaders to examine current practices, and holding conversations with key GHSA safety partners. The organization said that the recommendations are the latest step in GHSA’s commitment to placing racial equity at the forefront of all traffic safety efforts.