Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : Tiffani May’s life changed in an instant. Just moments away from her home in North Las Vegas, a car came barreling into an intersection at a staggering speed of over 100 miles per hour, crashing into her vehicle. The impact was jarring, with the sound of shattering glass and the sight of fire engulfing her car. In that moment, May feared for her life and the life of her beloved dog.
Tragically, the Nevada crash in January of the previous year claimed the lives of nine people. Among the victims were seven members of a single family, including four young brothers. May was one of the fortunate survivors of the six-vehicle collision, but the experience has left an indelible mark on her life. Until now, she had not spoken publicly about the incident, grappling with the emotional, spiritual, physical, and cognitive toll it has taken on her.
The crash in Nevada is just one example of the alarming number of fatalities caused by vehicle crashes in the United States. In 2021 alone, more than 40,000 people lost their lives in such accidents, with speeding being a major contributing factor. Approximately 12,000 deaths last year were attributed to speed-related crashes, along with hundreds of thousands of injuries.
In response to this public health crisis, safety advocates are calling for automakers to incorporate new technology into vehicles to mitigate speeding. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently conducted a study on the Las Vegas crash and, for the first time, urged U.S. automakers to install technology that reduces speeding in all new cars.
Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) is one such technology that can help address this issue. There are two types of ISA: passive speed assistance, which alerts drivers when they exceed the speed limit, and active speed assistance, which actually prevents drivers from surpassing the speed limit. Europe has already embraced speed assistance technology, making it mandatory in all new passenger cars starting next year. However, the U.S. lags behind in this regard.
While the NTSB can make recommendations, it cannot mandate automakers to adopt speed assistance technology. The reluctance of U.S. automakers stems from concerns about increased costs and the perceived lack of consumer demand. Nevertheless, federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have the authority to require automakers to incorporate speed assistance technology, as their European counterparts have done. NHTSA is currently considering this possibility through a rule-making process initiated last year.
In the meantime, some progress is being made at the local level. New York City, for instance, is testing speed capping technology in its municipal vehicle fleet, with plans to expand its usage if the pilot program proves successful. However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as the technology’s reliability and accuracy, particularly in complex driving scenarios.
As Tiffani May continues her recovery and advocacy work, she hopes that change will come. She emphasizes the preventability of car crashes and the need for improved traffic safety systems. May’s personal journey has taught her the importance of addressing not only speeding but also the issue of impaired driving. With the right measures in place, lives can be saved, and tragedies like the one she experienced can be prevented.