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The U.S. Department of Transport Announces 

 

a Historic Low Highway Fatality Rate for 2003 

 

A total of 42,643 people died, and 2.89 million were injured on America's roads in 2003.

 

August 10, 2004

 

 

The fatality rate [by Vehicle Miles Traveled, or VMT] on the nation's highways in 2003 was the lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today. The number of crash-related injuries also dropped to a historic low in 2003.

 

"America's roads and highways are safer than ever," said Secretary Mineta. "The decreasing number of traffic fatalities and record low death rate on our roads shows that we are headed down the right road - one that leads to a safer America."

 

Secretary Mineta pointed to efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that contributed to the reduction in the fatal accident rate, including campaigns to encourage safety belt use and discourage impaired driving, work with state legislatures to pass tougher safety belt and drunk driving laws, and rulemaking efforts to improve vehicle safety standards.

 

A total of 42,643 people died, and 2.89 million were injured in 2003. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was 1.48 in 2003, down from 1.51 in 2002. It was the first time the rate has dropped below 1.5. In 2002, 43,005 were killed and 2.93 million were injured.

 

"We at NHTSA are proud of the progress we've made and the success of the priorities we've established during this Administration," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, M.D. "But much of the credit goes to the committed professionals in the states and communities who implement the programs, and to safety professionals in the automotive industry who offer safer vehicles."

 

Alcohol-related fatalities also dropped significantly in 2003, the first such decline since 1999, as more states adopted laws that allowed them to prosecute drivers at .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) and above. 2004 marks the first year that all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were able to prosecute drivers at .08 BAC.

 

In 2003, VMT [i.e. the collective, total miles traveled by all motor vehicles in the USA] increased to 2.88 trillion, up from 2.86 trillion in 2002, according to the DOT's Federal Highway Administration.

 

NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) also shows that between 2002 and 2003:

DSA Comments

The per capita death rate

 

The American Government always appears loathe to highlight the unit of measurement that is most favored by other countries, namely deaths per 100,000 members of the population -- known as the per capita rate.

 

But this year's per capita results are undeniably pleasing for the USA. A quick check of the summaries (see link at foot of page) shows that this measure is also down, from 14.93 in 2002 to 14.66 in 2003 -- a reduction of 1.8% -- and this also brings the per capita rate for America to its lowest level since at least 1988.

 

In 1994, the per capita rate was 15.5 so the last ten years have seen an overall reduction of 5.4%.

 

DSA tables, showing not only the 2003 per capita rates for all American states but also those states listed in amongst the 30 countries from the international tables -- to show comparative performance -- may be viewed here.

 

A table showing the per capita fatality rates for 30 countries, from 1988 onwards, may be viewed here.

 

Eddie Wren, Executive Director, Drive and Stay Alive, Inc.

  • Motorcyclist fatalities increased from 3,270 to 3,661, a 12 percent rise;

  • Rollover deaths among passenger vehicle occupants declined 3.3 percent from 10,729 to 10,376;

  • Rollovers declined in passenger cars (7.5 percent; 4,794 to 4,433) and pickup trucks (6.8 percent -- 2,755 to 2,569);

  • Sport utility vehicle (SUV) rollover fatalities increased 6.8 percent from 2,471 to 2,639, even as SUV registrations increased 11 percent;

  • Twenty-seven states had decreases in the total number of fatalities. The highest percentage decreases were in Colorado (-15 percent); Vermont (-12 percent); Connecticut (-10 percent); Ohio (-10 percent); Oklahoma (-10 percent); and West Virginia (-10 percent);

  • The highest percentage increases were in the District of Columbia (+43 percent); Rhode Island (+24 percent) and Oregon (+17 percent);

  • Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities dropped to 31,904 - the largest decrease since 1992. Declining fatalities in passenger cars are consistent with increases in safety belt use and more crashworthy vehicles;

  • Passenger vehicle fatality rates per 100,000 registered vehicles declined for all passenger vehicle types except vans;

  • Pedestrian deaths declined 2.1 percent from 4,851 in 2002 to 4,749;

  • Fatalities in large truck crashes increased slightly from 4,939 to 4,986;

  • In 2003, there was a decline in the number of unbelted fatalities, reflecting an increase in safety belt use. Still, 56 percent of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts. This underscores the need for states to adopt primary safety belt laws.

NHTSA earlier estimated that highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.

 

NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from 50 states and the District of Columbia to produce the annual report on traffic fatality trends. Summaries of the 2003 report are available on the NHTSA web site at:

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/PPT/2003AARelease.pdf

 

END

 

 

Source: NHTSA 35-04