National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Definition & Meaning

✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Learn More! ✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary — Learn More! Est. 1828 Legal

• Definition
• Definition
• Entries Near

• • Cite this EntryCitation
  • Share
  Show more
• Show more
  • Citation
  • Share

• Save Word
  • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)

Agency

Department of Transportation agency charged with reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes by setting and enforcing safety standards and by providing grants enabling state and local governments to conduct effective local highway safety programs. The responsibilities of the NHTSA include investigating safety defects in motor vehicles; establishing and enforcing fuel economy standards; assisting states and local communities in reducing the threat of drunk drivers and distracted drivers; promoting the use of safety belts, child safety seats, and air bags; investigating odometer fraud; establishing and enforcing regulations concerning vehicular theft; and providing information on motor vehicle safety topics to consumers.

Browse Nearby Words

National Environmental Policy Act National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Industrial Recovery Act See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

“National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/National%20Highway%20Traffic%20Safety%20Administration. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Play Play

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Play Play

Word of the Day

retrospective

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Buck Naked' or 'Butt Naked'?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

The Words of the Week - Dec. 26

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Birds Say the Darndest Things

See More

Popular

See More

'Buck Naked' or 'Butt Naked'?

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

See More

Games & Quizzes

See All Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once? Play Blossom Pick the best words! Play The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist Play Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese, or Hindi? Quiz Guess the language these English words come from. Take the quiz See All