Highway Fatalities Down in 2013

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2013 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) shows a 3.1% decrease in highway fatalities over last year, and a 25% decrease in overall highway deaths since 2004.

The report states that 32,719 people died in traffic crashes in 2013 and the number of passenger vehicle occupants (passenger cars, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks) killed in crashes declined by 3% to 21,132, hitting a record low dating back to 1975.

In total, 34 states reported a reduction in fatalities; Ohio had 132 fewer fatalities; Kentucky had 108 fewer fatalities; Pennsylvania had 102 fewer fatalities; South Carolina had 96 fewer fatalities; and Arkansas had 77 fewer fatalities in 2013.

The FARS report states that alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities decreased by 2.5% and accounted for 31% of the overall fatalities in 2013.

“Almost 90 people on average lose their lives each day – and more than 250 are injured every hour – due to drunk driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and the many other factors associated with traffic crashes,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman. “As we work each day at NHTSA, these are tragic reminders of the importance of our efforts and how we must build on our many successes and continue to work even harder to protect the American public.”

From the NHTSA:

The more than three percent decline in traffic fatalities continues a long-term downward trend leading to the fatality rate matching a historic low – 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2013, down from 1.14 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2012. Other key statistics include:

The number of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes declined by 3 percent to 21,132 – the lowest number on record dating back to 1975. Passenger vehicles include passenger cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks.
Large truck occupant (0.9 percent) and motorcyclist (6.4 percent) fatalities declined for the first time since 2009.
Pedestrian fatalities declined by 1.7 percent to 4,735, but remains 15 percent higher than the record low of 4,109 pedestrian fatalities in 2009.
Pedalcyclist fatalities increased by 1.2 percent, the highest since 2006.
The estimated number of people injured in crashes decreased across all person types in 2013 when compared to 2012, with declines among passenger vehicle occupants (2.2 percent), large truck occupants (4 percent), motorcyclists (5.4 percent), pedestrians (13 percent), and pedalcyclists (2 percent).
The number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes fell to 3,154 in 2013 from 3,380 in 2012, a 6.7 percent decrease. However, the estimated number of people injured in distraction-affected crashes (424,000) increased by 1 percent compared to 2012.
62% of large-truck occupants killed in 2013 died in single-vhicle accidents.
The report goes on to state, “There was a small change (0.5%) increase in the amount of people killed in crashes involving large trucks. Very little changed from 2012 to 2013 with respect to those who died in the crashes involving large trucks. The number of large-truck occupants who were killed and the number of occupants of the other vehicles which were killed both decreased by less than 2%.

“The number of nonoccupants killed during a large-truck crash increased by 13% from 2012 to 2013.

“Note the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks is relatively small compared to those involving other vehicles.”

Fatality Composition 2013:

Passenger Car Occupants- 37%

Light-Truck Occupants- 28%

Large Trucks, Buses and Other Occupants- 4%

Motorcycle Occupants- 14%

Pedestrians – 17%

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