In this fact sheet, the 2015 State Traffic Data is presented in the following order: - Overview; - State Traffic Fatality Tables: • Table 1: Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rates, by State, 2015; • Table 2: Traffic Fatalities and Percent Change, by State, 1975-2015; • Table 3: Traffic Fatality Rates and Percent Change, by State, 1975-2015; • Table 4: Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Traffic Crashes, by State, 2006 and 2015; • Table 5: Speeding-Related Traffic Fatalities, by Roadway Function Class and State, 2015; • Table 6: Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities, by Restraint Use and State, 2015; • Table 7: Motorcyclist Fatalities, by Helmet Use and State, 2015; • Table 8: Traffic Fatalities and Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes, by Person Type and State, 2015. - Restraint Use and Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws Overview: In 2015, there were 35,092 fatalities in the United States (50 States and the District of Columbia, excluding Puerto Rico), an increase of 7 percent from 2014 (32,744). Figure 1 shows the 2015 traffic fatalities and the percent change from 2014 for each State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Vermont and Oregon had the greatest fatality increases from 2014 to 2015 at 30 percent and 25 percent, respectively, while New Mexico and Massachusetts had the greatest decreases at 23 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Key Findings: • Traffic fatalities increased by 7 percent from 2014 to 2015 (32,744 to 35,092) for the United States. • The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles travelled was 1.13 for the United States in 2015, but ranged from a high of 1.89 to a low of 0.52 among States. • Thirty-five States showed an increase in traffic fatalities between 2014 and 2015. They accounted for an additional 2,612 fatalities from 2014 to 2015. • Since 1975, the first year that the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) began collecting data, the rate of traffic fatalities per 100 million miles travelled in the United States has decreased by 66 percent (3.35 to 1.13). • From 2006 to 2015, Alaska had the largest increase in the percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities at 38 percent, while Mississippi had the greatest decrease at 30 percent. • In 2015, 75 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in Wyoming were known to be unrestrained, the highest in the country. • In 10 States, 70 percent or more of motorcyclists killed were known to be unhelmeted at the time of the crash in 2015. (Author/publisher)
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