In efforts to fund the overhaul of the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure, President Obama is calling for a $10.25-per-barrel tax on crude oil to be phased in over five years. The tax, which was announced as part of the President’s annual budget request to Congress, would raise nearly $319 billion over the next decade and would help fund the President’s 21st Century Clean Transportation Plan "to upgrade the nation’s transportation system, improve resilience and reduce emissions." As part of this new plan, up to $300 million would be made available in FY 2017 for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grant Program in addition to a separate request made in the budget for $10 million that would not be funded by the tax.

As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DERA authorizes funding of up to $100 million annually for FY 2012 through FY 2016 to help fleet owners reduce diesel emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is charged with distributing DERA funds. For reference, the DERA program was awarded $20 million in FY 2014, $30 million in FY 2015, and $70 million for FY 2016. Authorization of the DERA program is set to expire this year, but legislative efforts in both the House and Senate are underway to continue funding the program. 

The Republican-led Congress, which decides whether, and how, to act on the President’s budget proposal, say the proposed oil fee is a non-starter. Oil industry leaders were also quick to denounce the proposal, stating that the fee would be passed onto consumers.  

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released its latest estimate of traffic deaths, which show a steep 9.3 percent increase for the first nine months of 2015. "For decades, U.S. DOT has been driving safety improvements on our roads, and those efforts have resulted in a steady decline in highway deaths," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "But the apparent increase in 2015 is a signal that we need to do more."

NHTSA estimates that more than 26,000 people died in traffic crashes in the first nine months of 2015, compared to the 23,796 fatalities in the first nine months of 2014. U.S. regions nationwide showed increases ranging from 2 to 20 percent. The estimated increase in highway deaths follows years of steady, gradual declines. Traffic deaths declined 1.2 percent in 2014 and more than 22 percent from 2000 to 2014. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration show that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first nine months of 2015 increased by about 80.2 billion miles, or 3.5 percent. At this time, NHTSA says it is "too soon to speculate on the contributing factors or potential implications of any changes in deaths on our roadways." 

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a new public awareness campaign called Safe Cars Save Lives that urges consumers to check for open recalls at least twice a year and to get their vehicles fixed as soon as parts are available. The campaign was inspired by the massive increase in recalls in recent years. In 2015, for example, there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationwide. Further, NHTSA reports that every year, on average, 25 percent of recalled vehicles are left unrepaired. 

 

The Safe Cars Save Lives campaign features online banner ads illustrating that safety should never take a back seat and that checking for a recall could help save a life. Consumers are urged to get into the habit of checking their vehicle identification number (VIN) twice a year at a minimum using NHTSA’s free VIN look up tool. To remember to check, NHTSA suggests timing it with day light savings – every November when setting clocks back and every March when setting clocks forward. 

The recall awareness campaign also includes a suite of safety videos to help inform consumers on how to check their VINs, how recalls and investigations work, and information on what every car owner should know.

"Safe Cars Save Lives is a critical effort for building public awareness of recalls and is the first national campaign aimed at empowering vehicle owners," said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. "Millions of vehicles are recalled every year. Old, new, used or leased – one of those recalled vehicles could be yours. Check your VIN – Safe Cars Save Lives."