Native language speakers are invited to translate highway safety messages as part of a recent initiative launched by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation Tribal Affairs and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). At the 2023 Native Languages Summit, USDOT Assistant Secretary Arlando Teller announced that any translated safety campaign messages that are provided by Tribes will be posted on a USDOT web page. The purpose of this initiative is both to bring attention to traffic safety campaign slogans as well as helping preserve native languages by documenting a set of non-typical sentences. Native language speakers are asked to translate the traffic safety slogans that are posted here . If you have questions or would like to provide these messages in your language please contact Milo Booth, Director of Tribal Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Transportation, at 202-309-9786 or milo.booth@dot.gov . or Rita Hill, Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, NHTSA at 720-281-5933 or rita.hill@dot.gov .

Muscogee (Creek) Nation completes $734K improvement on public intersection MCN, ODOT, Okmulgee County collaborate to address area of concern

Road Safety Audit Virtual Workshop A Road Safety Assessment (RSA) is the formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. It qualitatively estimates and reports on potential road safety issues and identifies opportunities for improvements in safety for all road users. A Road Safety Audits virtual workshop was held on November 9, 2021 as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Four Corners Region Event in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month. The workshop included presentations from the Gila River Indian Community, Tohono O'odham Nation, NHTSA, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). A recording of the workshop can be found at https://www.tribalsafety.org/rsa-workshop .  NHTSA Tribal Traffic Safety Initiative Event The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hosted a virtual press conference on Tuesday November 2 nd to launch a new safety initiative to address the traffic safety challenges facing native Americans. Native Americans are 2 to 3 times more likely to die in car crashes than other race or ethnicity groups and have the highest per-capita rate of total traffic deaths, speeding-related fatalities, and pedestrian and bicyclist deaths. “Native Americans are killed in motor vehicle car crashes at rates higher than any other race or ethnicity and are overrepresented in fatal pedestrian crashes, said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff. “We are working with our federal, tribal, state, and safety advocacy partners to address disparities in traffic safety and to improve safety for all road users.” Annually, more than 600 Native Americans die in motor vehicle crashes, which is higher than the amount measured in six individual States. Thirty-four (34%) of these fatalities occur on reservations and tribal lands. Data shows that Native Americans are more likely to be killed in crashes involving alcohol impaired drivers, speeding, lack of seat belt use, and pedestrians. During National Native American Heritage Month, NHTSA’s Tribal Safety Initiative will focus on several key areas, working with tribes and tribal leaders to help make roads and travel safer for their communities. Events include child passenger safety seat checks, road safety assessment workshops, and several state and region-wide media campaigns encouraging safe road behavior. Joining Dr. Cliff were the Governor of Santa Clara Pueblo, U.S. DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs Arlando Teller, and Director of Tribal Affairs Milo Booth. A recording of the event is below, along with resource links. Resources Tribal safety initiative events Social media posts Images Infographics Tribal traffic safety projects Resource links Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month Video Recording of Tribal Traffic Safety Initiative, Four Corners and Beyond virtual event