A worrying increase in fatalities from vehicle crashes has been noted in the US during the first half of 2015. This comes in the wake of several years of improvements in road safety. A new report from the 2467 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the first six months of 2015 shows that motor vehicle fatalities increased 8.1% compared to the same period last year.
In a statement, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx promised the department would “redouble” its efforts to boost road safety and called upon all parties, including automakers and local governments, to do the same.
“These numbers are a call to action,” said Foxx. “Everyone with a responsibility for road safety – the federal, State and local governments, law enforcement, vehicle manufacturers, safety advocates and road users – needs to reassess our efforts to combat threats to safety.”
According to the NHTSA’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System, 32,675 people died in motor vehicle-related crashes nationwide in 2014, a 0.1% drop from 2013. Of those fatalities, 21,022 people were inside the vehicles, the lowest number of occupant fatalities since NHTSA first started tracking the data in 1975.
While a final breakdown of 2015 data will not be available until 2016, the NHTSA believes the improving economy and lower fuel prices could have been factors in increasing road deaths. Not only do these put more drivers on the road, but they also contribute to higher rates of leisurely driving and driving by younger, less experienced drivers who are at greater risk of crashing.
Nine out of 10 NHTSA regions experienced increases in motor vehicle fatalities in first half of 2015. New England had one of the lowest increases, with a 1% increase in estimated fatalities from 2014. However, this is subject to change as the fatality data from 2014 and 2015 is finalised.
NHTSA recently launched a series of safety initiatives, including the NHTSA’s first effort to address drowsy driving. According to the agency’s report, at least 846 people died in 2014 crashes involving drowsy drivers.
Meanwhile, alcohol, driver distractions, and failing to use seat belts continue to contribute to motor vehicle fatalities. The report found almost half of all occupants killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2014 were not wearing seat belts.
Drunk driving contributed to 9,967 deaths, about 31 percent of all fatalities. Meanwhile, distracted driving resulted in 3,179 deaths or 10% of all fatalities.
In Massachusetts, NHTSA reported there were 328 fatalities in 2014 with 133 deaths (41 percent) related to alcohol-impaired driving.
In a statement, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind called up on state and local governments to do more to combat drunk and distracted driving behaviour.
“Behavioural safety programs are the heart of NHTSA’s safety mission,” said Rosekind. “It is time as a nation to reinvigorate the fight against drunk and drugged driving, distraction and other risks that kill thousands every year, and time for State and local governments to reassess whether they are making the right policy choices to improve highway safety.”
In a statement, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx promised the department would “redouble” its efforts to boost road safety and called upon all parties, including automakers and local governments, to do the same.
“These numbers are a call to action,” said Foxx. “Everyone with a responsibility for road safety – the federal, State and local governments, law enforcement, vehicle manufacturers, safety advocates and road users – needs to reassess our efforts to combat threats to safety.”
According to the NHTSA’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System, 32,675 people died in motor vehicle-related crashes nationwide in 2014, a 0.1% drop from 2013. Of those fatalities, 21,022 people were inside the vehicles, the lowest number of occupant fatalities since NHTSA first started tracking the data in 1975.
While a final breakdown of 2015 data will not be available until 2016, the NHTSA believes the improving economy and lower fuel prices could have been factors in increasing road deaths. Not only do these put more drivers on the road, but they also contribute to higher rates of leisurely driving and driving by younger, less experienced drivers who are at greater risk of crashing.
Nine out of 10 NHTSA regions experienced increases in motor vehicle fatalities in first half of 2015. New England had one of the lowest increases, with a 1% increase in estimated fatalities from 2014. However, this is subject to change as the fatality data from 2014 and 2015 is finalised.
NHTSA recently launched a series of safety initiatives, including the NHTSA’s first effort to address drowsy driving. According to the agency’s report, at least 846 people died in 2014 crashes involving drowsy drivers.
Meanwhile, alcohol, driver distractions, and failing to use seat belts continue to contribute to motor vehicle fatalities. The report found almost half of all occupants killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2014 were not wearing seat belts.
Drunk driving contributed to 9,967 deaths, about 31 percent of all fatalities. Meanwhile, distracted driving resulted in 3,179 deaths or 10% of all fatalities.
In Massachusetts, NHTSA reported there were 328 fatalities in 2014 with 133 deaths (41 percent) related to alcohol-impaired driving.
In a statement, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind called up on state and local governments to do more to combat drunk and distracted driving behaviour.
“Behavioural safety programs are the heart of NHTSA’s safety mission,” said Rosekind. “It is time as a nation to reinvigorate the fight against drunk and drugged driving, distraction and other risks that kill thousands every year, and time for State and local governments to reassess whether they are making the right policy choices to improve highway safety.”
