The rate of fatal accidents on America’s roads was stagnant in the first three quarters of 2022, offering some relief from what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calls “a crisis” on the nation’s roads.
The administration estimates that, in the first nine months of 2022, 31,785 people died in traffic accidents. That’s 0.2 percent fewer than the 31,850 people who are estimated to have perished in the first nine months of 2021.
The more encouraging news is because Americans were driving more in 2022 than they were in 2021, the rate of fatalities has fallen by slightly more. Data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that there was a 1.6 percent increase in total miles driven from January to September, meaning that the rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled was 1.3, down from 1.32 in the same period a year earlier.
Read: U.S. Road Safety Lags Behind Other Countries Because It’s A Complex Problem To Solve
The data shows that total fatalities decreased on the roads in 24 states as well as the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, deaths on the road increased in 25 states and stayed the same in one.
In terms of positives, fatalities fell for children under the age of 16, people aged 16 to 24, and in speeding-related crashes. In addition, there were seven percent fewer deaths involving unbelted passengers, seven percent fewer deaths involving people ejected from their vehicles, and nine percent fewer involving rollovers.
On the other side of the coin, fatalities increased by 12 percent on rural interstates, and there were 10 percent more crashes involving at least one large truck in America. The numbers are also discouraging for road users who aren’t in cars. The rate of fatalities rose by two percent among pedestrians, by five percent among motorcyclists, and by eight percent among cyclists.
“Fatalities have not increased for two quarters now, but we have far more work to do to save lives and address the crisis on our nation’s roadways. That means investing in safety, implementing strategies that work, and embracing the safe system approach outlined in the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy,” said Ann Carlson, NHTSA’s acting administrator. “We urge everyone to do their part by driving safely and watching out for others on the road, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.”
