Washington, D.C. – Electric vehicle safety concerns were at the forefront of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy’s keynote speech at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting on Wednesday. Homendy reminded transportation leaders of the importance of their work in fighting for the 43,000 people who die on American roads annually and the millions more who are injured, not just drivers but all road users.
In her speech, Homendy emphasized the need for new policies, systems, regulations, and laws informed by research, especially with the advancement of new technology. She also urged attendees to be fearless in the face of preventable pain caused by transportation disasters and to fearlessly pursue solutions.
Homendy also expressed her concern about the increased risk of severe injury and death for all road users from the heavier curb weights and increasing size, power, and performance of vehicles on American roads, including electric vehicles. She cited the GMC Hummer EV’s weight of over 9,000 pounds, up from about 6,000 pounds, and its gross vehicle weight rating of a staggering 10,550 pounds, as well as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, Volvo XC40 EV, and RAV4 EV all being roughly 33% heavier than their non-electric versions.
Despite her concerns, Homendy acknowledged the importance of addressing the climate crisis and the U.S. transportation sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. She emphasized the need to be careful that the drive to phase out carbon emissions doesn’t create unintended consequences, such as more death on American roads.
