The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently named 3M a primary stakeholder in a campaign to accelerate the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a comprehensive approach to significantly reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries.
The Call-to-Action campaign encourages existing stakeholders to redouble their efforts to promote safe roadways and inspire others to join the effort.
3M is committed to helping the DOT and the NRSS by offering more than 80 years of science and expertise in traffic safety and by funding initiatives to address transportation equity. 3M is listed as a "First Mover" among the DOT's Allies in Action, a grouping that has already pledged specific action in 2023.
"3M is fully committed to supporting the DOT and its NRSS vision," said Dan Chen, 3M president of transportation safety. "We have a shared mission of making our roadways safer for drivers and pedestrians. The more collaboration we have among public and private organizations, the more American lives we can save."
In 2021, nearly 43,000 individuals were killed in traffic-related accidents, the highest total in 16 years.
"When it comes to roadway deaths, we have a crisis that's urgent and unacceptable---and preventable..." said Pete Buttigieg, U.S. secretary of transportation. "We cannot and must not accept that these fatalities are somehow an inevitable part of life in America."
In 2020, 3M pledged $50 million to address social justice and racial opportunity gaps. A portion of those dollars, approximately $250,000 annually, go to invest in transportation equity initiatives. 3M has also committed to improve 100 school zones around the world by improving reflective signs and crosswalks.
Source: 3M
Abby Andrews