Blog: New Administrator Brings Renewed Safety Push to NHTSA

Statement

It was my great pleasure earlier this week to participate in the ceremonial swearing-in of Mark Rosekind as the Administrator of our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I made this simple task one of our first post-holiday activities for one reason: it may be a new year, but our commitment to safety as DOT's number one priority remains firm.

And Mark is just the Administrator to ensure that our continued emphasis on that top priority translates into safer cars, safer roads, and safer people.

At NHTSA, you can expect Administrator Rosekind to bolster NHTSA's defect investigations. Last year, NHTSA's work led to record recall of 60 million vehicles and the largest-ever recall of child safety seats. But Administrator Rosekind shares my belief that we must do more to protect America's drivers and passengers be addressing the defect investigation process from how NHTSA collects and reviews complaints to how the organization investigates defects and implements recalls.

You can also expect Administrator Rosekind to enhance NHTSA's already effective core safety programs to further reduce the number of deaths and injuries each year on our Nation's roads.

It's difficult to imagine that President Obama could have chosen anyone steeped more deeply in the pursuit of safety than Mark Rosekind.

As a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Mark was on-scene for seven major transportation accidents. He also participated in NTSB public hearings, forums, conferences, and safety studies on issues such as substance-impaired driving, distracted driving, and truck and bus safety.

He is also one of the world's foremost human fatigue experts, having led the field with innovative research and programs in all modes of transportation. He has published more than 150 scientific, technical, and industry papers and has given hundreds of presentations. His achievements have been acknowledged through numerous honors and awards, including NASA's Exceptional Service Medal; the Mark O. Hatfield Award for Public Policy from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; six other NASA Group/Team Awards; two Flight Safety Foundation honors; and the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Safety Leadership.

Since its inception, NHTSA has been a powerful force for safety -- keeping unsafe vehicles off our roads, curbing unsafe driving behaviors, and promoting crucial safety measures like buckling up. I know that Administrator Mark Rosekind will make NHTSA's work even more effective, and I hope you'll join all of us at DOT in enthusiastically welcoming him to the Department.

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