University of Michigan Study Shows Fewer Traffic Fatalities

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A new study from the University of Michigan shows traffic fatalities are declining, even after a one-year reversal of the trend.

The efforts of automakers to make cars and trucks safer during the last decade appear to be hitting the mark as U.S. fatalities have declined nearly 23 percent in recent years, according to a newly released survey. The drop comes despite the fact that people are driving more than ever.

Regardless of how the results are measured, traffic deaths have declined overall in the U.S., although some states have seen better results than others. The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) released a study showing that between 2005 and 2012, the number of fatalities fell 22.7 percent. The numbers for 2013 aren’t compiled yet.

The leading drops, in terms of simple numbers, came from:

Washington D.C. (68.8 percent)
Nevada (39.6)
Mississippi (37.5)
New Hampshire (34.9 percent)
Missouri (34.3 percent)

The top 11 states posted drops greater than 30 percent, according to the UMTRI study.

Overall, every state saw a decline except for two: North Dakota and Vermont. North Dakota saw fatalities increase 38.2 percent. The rise can be attributed, in part, to the influx of new residents to the state as a result of the booming oil business there. There are simply more people on the roadways there.

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the state’s population rose 7.6 percent between 2010 and 2013. That figure jumps to 12.7 percent when the bureau’s 2008 population estimates are used. The reasons behind Vermont’s rise of 5.5 percent are more difficult to pinpoint, but much of it is attributable to a statistical quirk. In 2011, the number of deaths dropped to the lowest level since World War II, but then rose back up to more normal numbers in 2012.

When measured by mile driven or by population, the overall number drops as well. In fact, Washington D.C. led in each category used in the study. Nevada was also second in each one. The number of deaths is declining, but it’s not just the improvement in the crashworthiness of vehicles facilitating the increases.

Technologies such as anti-lock brakes, collision avoidance systems, stability control as well as increases in seat belt usage during the study’s timeframe, all play a role in cutting the number of fatalities.

While the overall trend with fatalities has been down, there was a blip in the statistical radar: 2012, when the number of fatalities rose for the first time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said deaths rose 5.3 percent to 34,080, the first year-over-year increase since 2005. If you take out 2012, the number of fatalities from 2005 through 2011 dropped more than 26 percent.

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