CARS.COM — The improved economy means that more people are going back to work, which means more drivers are on the road, and that translates to more traffic deaths. According to the latest figures from the National Safety Council, U.S. auto fatalities increased by an alarming 8 percent in 2015 compared with the year before. NSC estimates show that it was the largest year-over-year increase in a half-century.
Related: NHTSA: Traffic Deaths Up a Lot in First Nine Months of 2015
"The council estimates 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads, and 4.4 million were seriously injured, meaning 2015 likely was the deadliest driving year since 2008," the NSC said in a statement.
While the figures are still preliminary, the Itasca, Ill.-based NSC, which has been tracking annual traffic-fatality estimates since 1921, has estimated within 1 percent of final counts for the past three years. In February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 26,000 people had died in traffic accidents in the first nine months of 2015, up 9.3 percent from the same period in 2014. Differences in the way the NSC and NHTSA calculate traffic fatalities prevent an apples-to-apples comparison, but it suggests that the final figures for the year will be grim.
"While many factors likely contribute to the fatality increase, a stronger economy and lower unemployment are at the core of the trend," the NSC stated. "Average gas prices were 28 percent lower in 2015 than in 2014 and are projected to continue dropping this year, making driving more affordable for many Americans."
The subsequent 3.5 percent uptick in mileage driven, the NSC says, has been accompanied by an 8 percent increase in fatalities not just between 2014 and 2015, but also 2015 compared with 2013; deaths in 2013 were down 3 percent from 2012. The NSC estimated that in 2015, 4.4 million people suffered traffic-related injuries that required medical attention, while related costs including property damage totaled more than $412 billion.
Comparing 2015's estimates with those of 2012, 2013 and 2014, last year's monthly fatality totals exceeded all three other years in eight of the 12 months. Only February, March and April 2012, and November 2014, logged more deaths, while 2015 led in January, May through October and December.
On a state-by-state basis, only about a dozen showed improvement from 2014 to 2015, while two went unchanged and a full three dozen got worse. The top 10 states with the biggest percentage increases in traffic deaths in 2015 were:
10. South Carolina, 16 percent
9. Colorado, 17 percent
8. Montana, 17 percent
7. Idaho, 17 percent
6. Florida, 18 percent
5. Washington, 21 percent
4. Georgia, 22 percent
3. New Hampshire, 24 percent
2. Oregon, 27 percent
1. Vermont, 30 percent
The top five states with the greatest percentage decreases in traffic fatalities in 2015 were:
5. Hawaii, -5 percent
4. Kansas, -7 percent
3. Alaska, -8 percent
2. Rhode Island, -13 percent
1. New Mexico, -20 percent
In a statement from NHTSA to Cars.com, the agency called the apparent increase in 2015 "unacceptable." NHTSA noted that while economic factors are certainly at play, driving deaths were up far more than vehicle miles traveled.
"NHTSA is conducting the data-gathering and analysis necessary to understand what is causing this unsettling rise," the administration stated. "This trend is a warning sign to all of us: It is time to re-attack the behavioral factors that lead to highway deaths. We know that human error or decisions play a role in 94 percent of fatal crashes."
To that end, NSC recommends several common-sense tips for staying safe on the road, including making sure all passengers buckles their seat belts on every trip, getting plenty of sleep and taking regular breaks to avoid fatigue, designating a sober driver or arranging alternate transportation when imbibing, and never using a phone or other mobile device while driving — even hands-free.
from Cars.com News http://ift.tt/1RNwGUM
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