A National Perspective on Ambulance Crashes and Safety. Guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on ambulance safety for patients and providers.

A mbulance safety has special significance to the staff at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and its Office of Emergency Medical Services. As current or former EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, emergency nurses and state EMS officials, many of us have spent time in ambulances and routinely respond to traffic crashes. The people at NHTSA all work to advance emergency medical services by collecting and analyzing critical EMS data and by leading collaborative efforts among national, state and local organizations engaged in improving EMS nationwide. But we serve a broader mission as well: keeping people safe on our nation’s roadways. The incredible story of an ambulance crash in Minnesota (see “A Profound Impact” on page 84) demCRASH INVESTIGATIONS