The facts
Sean Duffy, a former Fox News host and ally of President Donald Trump, became U.S. transport secretary in early 2026. Within weeks he signed orders to eliminate several Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) safety countermeasures, including bike lanes, road‑diet designs and three speed‑management tools such as automated speed‑camera enforcement and variable speed limits. The department also removed webpages that detailed pedestrian and bicyclist safety guidance. Duffy announced on X in July that he had redirected $1.73 billion in USDOT grants away from what he called “DEI pet projects” toward roads, bridges and ports. Critics note that a new rule disqualifying non‑citizen commercial truck drivers from obtaining or renewing CDLs was justified on safety grounds despite data showing immigrant drivers were involved in fewer fatal crashes than U.S.‑citizen drivers. Experts from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and former USDOT officials warn that scrubbing proven safety tools could increase fatalities, especially as pedestrian deaths rose 72 % between 2009 and 2024 and cyclist deaths rose 73 % from 2010 to 2024.
Our take
Sean Duffy, the Trump‑appointed transport secretary, is turning America’s highways into a death trap with the enthusiasm of a kid smashing his Lego set. He’s ripped out FHWA’s proven safety playbook - bike lanes, road‑diet designs and speed‑camera enforcement - then bragged on X about diverting $1.73 billion from “DEI pet projects” to roads that are now deliberately less safe. The fucking move isn’t about budget discipline; it’s a cultural‑war stunt that ignores decades of traffic‑safety science. Jessica Cicchino of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety warned that speed cameras are “really effective at bringing down serious injuries and fatalities,” yet Duffy’s team has quietly erased them from federal guidance. Meanwhile, a new rule that bars non‑citizen truck drivers from CDLs is being sold as a safety measure even though data shows immigrant drivers have a lower fatal‑crash rate than their citizen counterparts. The AFL‑CIO highlighted that the rule could actually increase deaths, but Duffy’s rhetoric frames it as a hard‑line stance against a perceived “bogeyman.” This policy purge is not just bureaucratic negligence - it’s a deliberate ideological gamble that puts vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists on the front line. The United Nations recently passed a resolution to halve global road deaths by 2030, and the United States stood alone in opposing it, effectively voting for more American bloodshed. Duffy’s actions illustrate a terrifying blend of political grandstanding and reckless governance, where the lives of everyday commuters become collateral in a culture‑war victory lap. The result? More fatalities, more injuries, and a road system that reflects a reckless, anti‑science agenda rather than a commitment to public safety. The country deserves better than a secretary who treats safety as a political wedge.
