US road safety continues to improve

Road safety continues to improve according to the latest figures from the US Department of Transportation. The recorded data shows that in 2009 the US had the lowest level of traffic fatalities since 1954.
February 7, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

Road safety continues to improve according to the latest figures from the 324 US Department of Transportation. The recorded data shows that in 2009 the US had the lowest level of traffic fatalities since 1954. This is the 15th consecutive year that fatality rates have fallen. The projected fatality data for 2009 places the highway death count at 33,963, a drop of 8.9% as compared to the 37,261 deaths reported in 2008. The fatality rate for 2009 declined to the lowest on record, to 1.16 fatalities per 160 million vehicle km travelled (VKT), down from 1.25 fatalities per 160 million VKT in 2008.

It is extremely significant too that fatality rates are now lower than in 1954, when significantly fewer vehicles were on the roads and when average speeds were lower. Some of these safety gains can be attributed to laws against drink driving, instalment and mandatory use of seatbelts and improved car design with the development of crumple zones and ABS brakes. However US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood cautioned, “There are still far too many people dying in traffic accidents. Drivers need to keep their hands on the steering wheel and their focus on the road in order to stay safe.”

The 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attributes the decline in 2009 to a combination of factors that include: high visibility campaigns like Click It or Ticket to increase seat belt use, and Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest which helps with the enforcement of state laws to prevent drunk driving and distracted driving. In addition, the decline is also the result of safer roads, safer vehicles and motorists driving less. “This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over,” said NHTSA head David Strickland. “We want to see those numbers drop further. We will not stop as long as there are still lives lost on our nation’s highways. We must continue our efforts to ensure seat belts are always used and stay focused on reducing distracted and impaired driving.”

NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports on traffic fatality trends.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Study finds speed cameras cut fatal accidents
    March 15, 2012
    In the first study of its kind in Qatar, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha (WCMC-Q) have found a dramatic decrease in fatal motor injuries following the deployment of speed cameras. The research – Motor vehicle injuries in Qatar: time trends in a rapidly developing Middle Eastern nation – has been published in the peer-reviewed British medical journal, Injury Prevention. Most speed cameras in Qatar were installed during 2007, giving researchers the opportunity to examine injury rates befo
    Read More
  • US to unify regulations on cell-phone use at the wheel?
    April 19, 2012
    A new bill being presented in the US may ban the use of cell-phones by drivers while at the wheel. Should this bill go ahead, it would unify actions in a number of states under a single law that applies to the entire country. The move, called the Safe Drivers Act, is seen crucial to plans to tackle distracted driving.
    Read More
  • Volvo standardises anti-collision system
    July 23, 2014
    Volvo will unveil ‘the most comprehensive and technologically sophisticated standard safety package available in the automotive industry’ next month when it launches its all-new XC90 all-wheel drive SUV. The standard safety package will include an auto brake at intersection capability and run-off road protection. The auto brake at intersection function automatically applies the brakes if the driver turns in front of an oncoming car. On-board systems detect a potential crash and automatically apply the br
    Read More
  • ETSC says road safety is ‘vicious circle’
    June 12, 2019
    Urban road safety is a key problem in Europe, an issue that needs to be addressed as a priority. That is the finding of a new report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). The ETSC’s report reveals that road deaths on urban roads decreased at around half the rate of those on rural roads over the period 2010-2017. The report also shows that vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, account for 70% of those killed and seriously injured on urban roads. Dovilė Adminait
    Read More

Highlighted Content