The Nation lost 35,092 people in crashes on U.S. roadways during 2015, an increase from 32,744 in 2014. The 7.2-percent increase is the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years. The largest percentage increase previously was an 8.1-percent increase from 1965 to 1966. The estimated number of people injured on the Nation’s roads increased in 2015, rising from 2.34 to 2.44 million injured people. Fatalities increased from 2014 to 2015 in almost all segments of the population–passenger vehicle occupants, passengers of large trucks, pedestrians, pedal-cyclists, motorcyclists, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, male/female, daytime/night-time. Fatalities of drivers of large trucks was one of the few groups that remained unchanged. The estimated number of police-reported crashes increased by 3.8 percent, from 6.0 to 6.3 million. * The Nation saw 2,348 more fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in 2015 than in 2014–a 7.2-percent increase. - The number of passenger car and light-truck occupant fatalities is at its highest since 2009. • SUV occupant fatalities increased by 382, an additional 10.1 percent over the number in 2014. • Van occupant fatalities increased by 95, a 9.3-percent increase. • Passenger car occupant fatalities increased by 681, a 5.7-percent increase. • Pickup truck occupant fatalities increased by 200, a 4.7-percent increase. - Motorcyclist fatalities increased by 382 (an 8.3-percent increase), and the number is the largest since 2012. - Pedestrian fatalities increased by 466 (a 9.5-percent increase), and are at their highest number since 1996. - Pedalcyclist fatalities increased by 89 (a 12.2-percent increase), and are at their highest level since 1995. - Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities increased by 3.2 percent, from 9,943 in 2014 to 10,265 in 2015. * Vehicle miles travelled (VMT) increased by 3.5 percent from 2014 to 2015, the largest increase since 1992, nearly 25 years ago. * The fatality rate per 100 million VMT increased to 1.12 from 1.08 in 2014, which was the lowest since NHTSA began collecting fatality data through the Fatality Analysis Reporting System in 1975. * The estimated number of injured people experienced a statistically significant increase. In 2015 there was an increase of 105,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes over 2014. Over the past decade there has been a general downward trend in traffic fatalities, with a slight increase in 2012. Ten years ago in 2006, there were 42,708 people killed in traffic crashes. Safety programs such as those that have resulted in increased belt use and reduced impaired driving have worked to substantially lower the number of traffic fatalities over the years. Vehicle improvements including technologies such as air bags and electronic stability control have also contributed greatly to reduce traffic deaths. However, with the large increase in fatalities in 2015, that decade-long downward trend of almost 25 percent has been reduced by almost one-third. This Research Note provides a brief overview of the 2015 fatal crash picture using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of motor vehicle fatal traffic crashes in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and the National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS GES), a nationally representative sample of police reported motor vehicle crashes. Information is presented in the following sections. * Overall Trends * Fatality and Injury Rates * Police-Reported Crashes * Change in Fatality Composition * Fatality and Injury Changes by Person Type * Inside Versus Outside the Vehicle * Fatal Crash Types * Human Choices * Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Fatalities and Drivers * Restraint Use and Time of Day * Economic and Other Indicators * Additional Facts * State Distribution of Fatalities and Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Fatalities There were 35,092 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States in 2015–2,348 more fatalities than the 32,744 in 2014. The 7.2-percent increase is the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years. The largest percentage increase previously was an 8.1-percent increase from 1965 to 1966. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting