The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started its part of the workforce reduction process launched by the new Administration, as media reports the agency has laid off 4% of its staff and is expected to eventually reduce its overall workforce by 10%.

NHTSA has stated that this a “modest” number of positions cut, given the roughly 800 people the agency employed as of January 2025. A NHTSA spokesman said with the cuts, the agency has “retained positions critical to the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs due to road traffic crashes,” adding it “will continue to enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment.” 

During a Senate confirmation hearing on February 20, 2025, Steven Bradbury, the Deputy Secretary of Transportation nominee, said that Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy was focused on ensuring that funding and staffing cuts were “made without compromising safety” and that Duffy will “ensure that safety critical staffing is sufficient to address those needs.”

As with other federal agencies, changes in NHTSA’s priorities may develop over the coming weeks and months.