Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety
Traffic deaths down, U.S. roads reach record level of safety
Safer vehicles and increased law enforcement has resulted in the lowest driving fatality rate ever last year. There were 41,059 traffic deaths in 2007, down 1,600 from 2006. Fatalities are now at 1.37 per 100 million miles traveled, which is the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started keeping track. The proliferation of safety technology, like side curtain air bags, stability control, and traction control, are apparently helping to make our roads safer, and good old-fashioned seat belts are being used more than ever. The "Click it or Ticket" campaign isn't the only way law enforcement has helped to lower fatalities either, as increased drunken driving patrols have lead to a 3.7% decline in deaths. Still, 13,000 people died last year as a result of drunken driving, which is 13,000 too many.
News on the safety front isn't as good for motorcycle drivers, though. A record 5,154 bikers lost their lives on U.S. roads in 2007, which is over 200 more than in 2006. Part of the reason for that increase is that there are more motorcycle drivers on the road, with 6 million motorcycles registered last year, up 2.2 million in the past decade.
[Source: Kicking Tires via CNN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
SteveJ 7:35PM (8/18/2008)
I think it's still statistically safer to fly*.
*After you get raped with fees to bring your bags (which then don't make it to the destination), get raped by security, and get raped by the airline again when you have to buy something to eat (and a drink now). Still might be better than a sketchy hotel room.
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jack 10:18AM (8/21/2008)
if you do the statistics , the deaths vs the increase number of riders, the percentage is lower with the increase of riders.
Eric Smith 7:37PM (8/18/2008)
Uh-oh. Now what am I going to use to justify my argument for raising/getting rid of speed limits?
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chrisdavis 7:47PM (8/18/2008)
There is no evidence provided in this article to establish cause and effect. There you go.
Vintage 10:12AM (8/21/2008)
It's currently super safe and we could raise the speed limits to help Darwin out. Weed out the people that can't drive fast.
yacoub 7:40PM (8/18/2008)
WAIT SO YOU MEAN HAVING HIGHER HIGHWAY SPEED LIMITS HASN'T ACTUALLY CREATED MORE TRAFFIC DEATHS?! Shocker. (Not really.)
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HAWC1506 7:43PM (8/18/2008)
Our roads will be even safer if people actually KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS. It's not that hard people, pass the car, move to the right, yeesh what is wrong with American drivers. There should be a law in the U.S. like Europe that suspends your license for one year (with a one thousand-dollar fine) if you're caught hogging the left lane, OR passing on the right.
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Michael 8:01PM (8/18/2008)
I absolutely agree. It's really very simple...
Paul 8:22PM (8/18/2008)
And thanks a lot to the left lane hoggers slowing down traffic so the fatality is down. I can't stand those drivers either. There's actually a vehicle in California that says ALL DRIVERS ARE TO DRIVE ON THE RIGHT HALF OF THE ROAD EXCEPT TO PASS (c.v.c. 21650) and OVERTAKE AND PASS TO LEFT (c.v.c.21750). Wish the CHP would cite the hoggers like they do in Europe!
MajorGeek 8:50PM (8/18/2008)
Cheers. +1
Seems like when I do finally get around these people on their right, they are on the cell phone. It is amazing to me that in this day and age of bluetooth that people are actually holding phones in their hand oblivious to their surrounding, arms flailing and so forth. Its embarrasing just to watch. That and texting.
Markus 12:26AM (8/19/2008)
While I totally agree with you, and while it is correct that the left lane(s) are only for passing in Europe, sadly, there is no country in Europe (that I know of) where it carries said fine. Fines for staying in the left lane are much lower, and even fines for passing on the right are lower than that.
But yes, I would totally be in favour of a three year license suspension and a gazillion Euro fine for left lane hogging. And for middle lane hogging, too, actually. The latter is even more of a problem, since it is far more common. So many people think apparently that "left lane is for reaaaally fast cars, right lane is for trucks, middle lane is for me, even if I creep along at 75mph the whole time"...
JP 4:38PM (8/20/2008)
Thank you thank you for saying this. I just had a 6-hour drive across Indiana/Illinois, and I swear to god, there was someone in the left lane making a roadblock. He finally moved into right, I passed on left, and he (listen carefully) MOVED BACK INTO THE LEFT LANE WHILE GIVING ME THE FINGER. Some people need to learn road manners.
Hank 7:48PM (8/18/2008)
it may also have something to do with the fact that people are driving less miles overall this past year due to higher prices, less cars on the road = more spacing = less fatal accidents?
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Hank 7:49PM (8/18/2008)
higher GAS PRICES, that is :P
BOB 8:04PM (8/18/2008)
NO -- Deaths were about the same as 1996, on 25% MORE VEHICLE MILES.
You can expect vehicle miles to decline in 2008, I think.
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
Cars are safer -- but many hundreds of pounds heavier, mostly due to safety stuff, and the proliferation of SUVs, plus more equipment. Gas usage per mile would be way down, with present engine technology, but for that.
As for speed limits -- I agree we need them, but 2008 cars are safer at 70 by far than 1960 cars were at 55.
MajorGeek 8:52PM (8/18/2008)
I thought the same as Hank. 25% more cars, over 25% less driving? Lots of people stayed put, didnt launch boats, etc. I would think this holds a little weight.
oldraven 7:24AM (8/19/2008)
I've read a number of articles on just that. US citizens have driven 12B miles fewer in June than last year, and 11B less in May. All of those articles have stated that this has lowered the death toll considerably. Damn, didn't I read one yesterday?
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=130807
Yes I did. ;)
Hugh G 8:04PM (8/18/2008)
And the dumba$$es should stay off their flippin cell phones too, that would help even more. I absolutely love it when I see a teenage girl flying up behind me in her Honda Civic and she's yapping away on her cell phone while she's driving 6" from my rear bumper. I love the reaction when I tap my brakes a couple times. Dumb bimbos!
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Kingus 8:07PM (8/18/2008)
"Fatalities are now at 1.37 per 100 million miles traveled, which is the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started keeping track."
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Kingus 8:07PM (8/18/2008)
@ Hank