Traffic Fatalities Up 9.3% for First Nine Months of 2015, NHTSA Says
Early estimates of the overall number of traffic fatalities in the United States show about a 9.3% increase the first nine months of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014.
There were approximately 26,000 fatalities through September 2015 compared with 23,796 fatalities the first ninth months of 2014, according to projections by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The estimated increase in highway deaths follows years of steady, gradual declines. Traffic deaths declined 1.2% in 2014 and more than 22% from 2000 to 2014.
U.S. regions showed increases during the first nine months of 2015 ranging from 2% to 20%.
The fatality rate for the first nine months of 2015 increased to 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled from 1.05 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first nine months of 2014.
The fatality estimates were not broken down by truck, car or bus.
Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration show that VMT in the first nine months of 2015 increased by about 80.2 billion miles, or 3.5%.
“For decades, U.S. DOT has been driving safety improvements on our roads, and those efforts have resulted in a steady decline in highway deaths,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “But the apparent increase in 2015 is a signal that we need to do more.”
NHTSA 's report said it’s “too soon to speculate on the contributing factors or potential implications of any changes in deaths on our roadways.”
The final data for 2014, as well as the annual file for 2015,will be available in the fall. Fatality totals usually are revised, and the ensuing rates and percentage change, the report added.
“We’re seeing red flags across the U.S., and we’re not waiting for the situation to develop further,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “It’s time to drive behavioral changes in traffic safety ,and that means taking on new initiatives and addressing persistent issues like drunk driving and failure to wear seat belts.”
