NHTSA Releases Annual Motor Vehicle Crash Report

 Posted on November 02, 2017 in Personal Injury

Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) releases a report concerning car accident statistics and fatalities on roads throughout the country. In 2016, fatal motor vehicle crashes rose again, just as they did between 2014 and 2015, according to the report.

As the report explains, in the last decade we have been seeing a generally downward trend in motor vehicle crash fatality rates. Yet in 2016, the NHTSA reported a total of 37,461 fatalities as a result of traffic collisions on U.S. roadways, which was a 5.6 percent increase from 2015, in which 35,485 fatalities were reported.

Why are traffic collisions now on the rise in DuPage County and throughout the country? And what can we do to reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities?

Getting the Facts About Fatal Car Crashes in 2016

The NHTSA report cites the following facts and figures about fatal car crashes in 2016:

• Passenger car occupant fatalities were at a nearly 10-year high, increasing by 651 fatalities, or by 5.1 percent (we have not seen a figure this high since 2008);
• SUV occupant fatalities also rose in 2016 by 5.2 percent, or by 219 additional fatalities from the previous year;
• Van occupant fatalities increased by 8.4 percent in 2016, resulting in an additional 95 deaths;
• Pickup truck occupant deaths also showed an increase of 1.5 percent from the previous year, with an additional 68 fatalities on U.S. roadways in 2016;
• Motorcycle accident fatalities rose by 5.1 percent (or 257 deaths), which, like passenger car occupant fatalities, was the highest figure since 2008;
• Pedestrian fatalities rose by a shocking 9 percent, or an additional 492 deaths, making 2016 the deadliest year for pedestrian accident fatalities since 1990;
• Bicycle accident fatalities also rose by 1.3 percent from the previous year, making 2016 the deadliest year for pedalcyclists since 1991; and
• Like other increases in automobile fatalities, DUI accidents and crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers also rose by 1.7 percent (or an additional 177 deaths in 2016).

As the report emphasizes, many traffic safety experts believed that safety programs ranging from improved auto technologies, to seat belt awareness campaigns, to DUI stops, had helped to reduce the overall rate of traffic fatalities in the country. Indeed, many of those safety advocates believed we would continue to see a decline in traffic fatalities. Yet the striking increases in deadly accidents over the last two years suggests that we may have a new problem (or set of problems) to address.

Preventing Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2017

What can we do to help prevent the number of severe and deadly car accidents before the end of the year? In short, drivers need to make better choices. For instance, anyone in DuPage County who is thinking about driving under the influence of alcohol could save lives by taking an Uber or a taxi. According to the report, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities rose in Illinois by 8.4 percent from 2015-2016, with over 1,000 deadly DUI-related crashes last year.

Distracted driving, too, is a problem that continues to result in more crashes in Chicagoland and throughout the country. The NHTSA report also cites speeding as a major cause of collisions last year. If drivers in DuPage County drove without distractions and abided by speed limits, we could see a rapid decrease in deadly crashes.

Contact a DuPage County Car Crash Lawyer

Do you have questions about filing a motor vehicle crash lawsuit? A passionate DuPage County motor vehicle accident attorney can speak with you today. Contact Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices for more information.

Source:

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812456