Roadway deaths fall nearly 25 percent in a decade, fatality rates at a historic low
In late December, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the 2013 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) final data for 2013. That data reflects a 3.1% decrease from 2012 and a nearly 25% decline in overall highway deaths since 2004. In 2013, 32,719 people died in traffic crashes. The estimated number of people injured in crashes in 2013 also declined by 2.1 percent.
“The more than three percent decline in traffic fatalities continues a long-term downward trend leading to the fatality rate matching a historic low – 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2013, down from 1.14 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2012. Other key statistics include:
- The number of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes declined by 3 percent to 21,132 – the lowest number on record dating back to 1975. Passenger vehicles include passenger cars, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks.
- Large truck occupant (0.9 percent) and motorcyclist (6.4 percent) fatalities declined for the first time since 2009.
- Pedestrian fatalities declined by 1.7 percent to 4,735, but remains 15 percent higher than the record low of 4,109 pedestrian fatalities in 2009.
- Pedalcyclist fatalities increased by 1.2 percent, the highest since 2006.
- The estimated number of people injured in crashes decreased across all person types in 2013 when compared to 2012, with declines among passenger vehicle occupants (2.2 percent), large truck occupants (4 percent), motorcyclists (5.4 percent), pedestrians (13 percent), and pedalcyclists (2 percent).
- The number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes fell to 3,154 in 2013 from 3,380 in 2012, a 6.7 percent decrease. However, the estimated number of people injured in distraction-affected crashes (424,000) increased by 1 percent compared to 2012….” *
*We know that distraction related crashes are vastly under-reported, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).
[Read NHTSA’s press release with links to FARS data.]
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*Dianne Anderson is the mother of the late Casey Feldman and the wife of Joel Feldman. A retired attorney, Dianne is the co-founder of the Casey Feldman Foundation and its sponsored project, EndDD.org. She can be reached at [email protected].
