The 1996 fatality count was 1,505 down 2.1% from the 1995 figure of 1,537. Compared with 1995, injuries were up 2.6% and total crashes were up 3.4%. These figures translated into a death rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles of travel, down 5.6% from the death rate of 1.8 reported in 1995. Nationally, fatalities were down 1.4 percent. Exposure factors in 1996 showed increases in vehicle registrations the number of licensed drivers, and travel mileage. They included motor vehicle registrations up 4.6% to 8.29 million; and vehicle travel mileage up 2.3% to 87.7 billion. Consumption of alcohol continues to be a major factor in Michigan crashes. In 1996, 5 percent of all crashes, including property damage only were reported to involve drinking and 23 percent resulted in injury of death. However, 46.3 percent of alcohol related crashes involved injury or death, and 36.4 percent of fatal crashes involved drinking. Over 61.4 percent of alcohol-related fatal crashes involved only one vehicle, whereas only 30.8 percent of all crashes involved one vehicle. Data on crashes in this book was obtained from 1996 Michigan Traffic Crash Report Forms (UD-10) submitted by local police departments, sheriff jurisdictions, and the Department of State Police. Other related information was obtained from the Departments of Transportation, State, and Community Health. (A)
Abstract