Road safety institutions under attack as Argentina and U.S. pursue deep cuts

Two of the world’s largest economies are seeing major setbacks for road safety governance, as populist administrations in Argentina and the United States take aim at key transport and safety institutions.

In Argentina, President Javier Milei has announced the dissolution of the National Road Directorate and the National Road Safety Agency, among other public bodies, as part of a sweeping decree targeting state organisations. According to El País, the affected agencies oversee thousands of kilometres of Argentina’s national highway network and have historically played a vital role in infrastructure development, maintenance and road safety enforcement.

The government has argued the closures are necessary to root out corruption and reduce public spending. But critics warn the consequences for public safety could be severe. Trade unions estimate that over 5,000 jobs are at risk, and fear the deterioration of road networks and a rise in preventable deaths if technical expertise and institutional continuity are lost.

A federal court has since temporarily suspended the closures, in response to legal challenges by public sector unions, but the government has vowed to continue its efforts.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Reuters reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—the country’s chief vehicle safety regulator – is set to lose more than 25% of its workforce. The cuts come under a wider federal push to slim down government, and follow similar reductions at other agencies including the Federal Highway Administration.

Safety advocates have expressed alarm at the scale of the losses. The timing is particularly sensitive, with NHTSA facing growing demands to regulate emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems. According to Reuters, some of the cuts will affect departments directly responsible for overseeing vehicle safety innovations and enforcement.