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After a brief reduction during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic fatalities in the United States surged to the highest levels in many years. Initially experts hypothesized that the increase was due in large part to reduced traffic volumes facilitating speeding. However, traffic fatality rates remained elevated throughout 2021 and 2022, despite traffic […]
Passenger vehicles are defined as motor vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of 10,000 pounds or less and include passenger cars and light trucks (SUVs, pickups, vans, and other light trucks). In 2022 there were 25,420 passenger vehicle occupants who died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a 4-percent decrease from 26,465 in 2021. An estimated […]
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2024 shows an estimated 8,650 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.2 percent as compared to 8,935 fatalities projected to have occurred in 2023, as shown in Table 1. The first quarter of 2024 represents the eighth consecutive quarterly […]
In 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236, restricted speed is defined as a speed that permits stopping within one-half the range of vision, but does not exceed 20 mph. While previous studies have focused extensively on the safety risks associated with high-frequency, high-consequence accidents, comparatively little prior work has been undertaken to evaluate railroad […]
GHSA’s annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report offers the first look at state and national trends in pedestrian traffic deaths for 2023 based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs). The data analysis found that 29 states had fewer pedestrian deaths in 2023 compared to the year before, while 21 and Washington, […]
With National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month wrapping up at the end of July, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding drivers to protect themselves year-round from this growing and costly problem, as vehicle theft can happen to anyone at any time. Each year, vehicle theft costs Americans more than $8 […]
Traffic management systems (TMSs) and Transportation Management Centers are critical resources that offer agencies the potential to improve the safety and mobility of travel on the surface transportation system. TMSs also assist agencies fulfilling the ever-increasing transportation needs of travelers (e.g., travel times), service providers (e.g., transit, emergency services), other agencies, and the public (e.g., […]
Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatal traffic crash involving a driver with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired-driving crash, and fatalities occurring in those crashes are considered to be alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities. […]
In 2014 NHTSA specified an area behind the vehicle that must be displayed to the driver while backing, which applied to new passenger vehicles beginning with model year 2018. Most manufacturers responded by adding rearview video systems (RVSs) to their vehicles. Research has shown that using RVSs can reduce crash risk (Hurwitz et al., 2010); […]
This fact sheet contains information on fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes from the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). Results from FARS, such as fatal crashes and fatalities, are actual counts, while results from CRSS, such as non-fatal crashes and […]