Every year from 1995 through 2007, the number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States consistently was around 42,500, ranging from a low of 41,259 in 2007 to a high of 43,510 in 2005. In 2008, however, the number of people killed in crashes in the United States fell to its lowest level since 1961: 37,261. The annual number of fatalities continued to decline in subsequent years, to 33,883 in 2009, 32,885 in 2010, and an estimated 32,310 in 2011 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], 2012). This study examines changes over time in the numbers and rates of police-reported crashes involving passenger vehicles (cars, pickup trucks, vans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles) and the numbers and rates of injuries and deaths that occurred in those crashes. Crashes that did not involve at least one passenger vehicle were excluded. The relationship between driver age and the risks that drivers pose tothemselves and to other people was also examined. (Author/publisher)
Abstract