Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads declined in the second quarter, halting an almost two-year rise even as Americans are driving more.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is operating without a Senate-confirmed leader again, leaving a void atop the agency tasked with preventing road injuries and deaths even as the number of fatalities moves sharply in the wrong direction.

Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads grew 7% in the opening three months of the year, reaching the highest levels for the first quarter since 2002.

Steven Cliff, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is stepping down from his post for a leadership role at the California Air Resources Board.

DETROIT — Two crashes involving Teslas apparently running on Autopilot are drawing scrutiny from federal regulators and point to a potential new hazard on U.S. freeways: The partially automated vehicles may not stop for motorcycles.

WASHINGTON — The new head of the government’s road safety agency says it will intensify efforts to understand the risks posed by automated vehicle technology, so it can decide what regulations may be necessary to protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for the first time, collected and analyzed data on crashes involving vehicles using SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems, and separately, SAE Levels 3-5 automated driving systems.

DETROIT — Tesla reported 273 crashes involving partially automated driver-assist systems, according to statistics about the industry released by U.S. safety regulators on June 15.

DETROIT — The Senate on May 26 confirmed former California pollution regulator Steven Cliff to run the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

DETROIT — Nearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years as Americans returned to the highways after the pandemic forced many to stay at home.