- Preliminary estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest 40,990 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year.
- That’s a 3.6% drop from 2022, but is still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
- A new distracted driving campaign kicks off this week.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released early estimates for the number of traffic fatalities on U.S. roads last year. While the numbers haven’t been finalized at this point, the results are encouraging.
While an estimated 40,990 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year, that’s less than the 42,514 deaths reported in 2022. This is a 3.6% decline as 1,524 lives were saved compared to 2022.
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Despite the drop in fatalities, people drove more in 2023. This pushed the estimated fatality rate from 1.33 deaths per 100 million miles (161 million km) to 1.26 deaths. While that’s a small drop, Americans traveled an additional 67.5 billion miles (108.6 billion km) for a 2.1% increase from 2022.
The numbers might be moving in the right direction, but fatalities are still significantly higher than they used to be. In 2013, only 32,893 people lost their lives on U.S. roads. That means there were an additional 8,097 deaths in 2023.
Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities
Fatalities shot up during the pandemic as 39,007 deaths were reported in 2020, which was a 7.3% increase from the 36,355 reported in 2019. The numbers then climbed to 43,230 deaths in 2021, before slowly dropping.
Some of the biggest increases in fatalities occurred in Rhode Island (38.5%), Idaho (28.8%), and Kentucky (11.3%). However, Washington D.C. came out on top with a 40.6% increase in deaths.
Besides releasing fatality estimates, the NHTSA launched a new “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign. It’s designed to remind drivers about the dangers and consequences of distracted driving.
While many people think taking a quick glance at their phone won’t harm anyone, 3,308 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022. Estimates peg the number of injured at 289,310.
The campaign runs from April 1-8 and will be supported by state and local law enforcement, who will be cracking down on distracted driving this month. The NHTSA says drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 will be targeted as they’re “more likely to die in distraction-affected crashes than any other age group.”
In a statement, NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said “Distraction comes in many forms, but it is also preventable. Our rebranded campaign reminds everyone to Put the Phone Away or Pay, because distracted driving can cost you in fines – or even cost your life or the life of someone else on the road.”
