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NHTSA vs Road511

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APINHTSANEW—Road511NEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government work)Unverified
Free tierFree, no keyFree tier — API key required
Rate limitUnpublished70 req/window · 69 remaining · resets 1783522019
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

NHTSA vs Road511: common questions

Which is more reliable, NHTSA or Road511?

On our scheduled checks, Road511 leads on measured uptime — NHTSA at —% versus Road511 at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do NHTSA and Road511 need an API key?

NHTSA needs no key, while Road511 requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for NHTSA first.

Can I call NHTSA and Road511 from the browser?

Only NHTSA is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Road511 needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are NHTSA and Road511 free for commercial use?

NHTSA allows commercial use on its free tier, and Road511 has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.