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Motor-vehicle deaths up 14% in first two months of 2012.
Motor-vehicle deaths in February of 2012 totaled 5,280. This figure is up 14% from the corresponding 2-month period in 2011. The February figure for 2012 was up 13% from the 2010 figure. The February total for 2011 was 4,640, a less than 0.5% decrease from 2010. The 2010 figure was 13% lower than 2009. The estimated annual population death rate is 12.7 deaths per 100,000 population, an increase of 13% from the preliminary 2011 rate. The estimated annual mileage death rate is 1.3 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, an increase of 8% from the preliminary 2011 rate.
Medically consulted motor-vehicle injuries for the first two months of 2012 are estimated to be about 528,000, an increase of 23% from 2011. Medically consulted injuries are not comparable to previous disabling injury estimates.
The estimated cost of motor-vehicle deaths, injuries, and property damage through February was $38.4 billion, a 27% increase from 2011. The costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs, and property damage.