Highway Fatality Rate Falls to Record Low, DOT Says
he fatality rate on the nation’s highways in 2004 was the lowest since record-keeping began 30 years ago, and while passenger vehicle deaths dropped, fatalities from large truck crashes increased slightly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
NHTSA's figures showed that while passenger vehicle occupant deaths dropped to 31,693 — the lowest since 1992 — fatalities from large truck crashes increased slightly, from 5,036 to 5,190.
Total fatalities in sport utility vehicles increased 5.6% to 4,735, while fatalities in passenger cars, pickup trucks and vans decreased by a total of 834. Alcohol-related fatalities also dropped for a second straight year, NHTSA said.
The fatality rate has been steadily improving since 1966 when 50,894 people died and the rate was 5.5, said NHTSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation.
The truck fatality rate won't be available until later this year, after the number of truck miles traveled is calculated.
In 2004, vehicle miles traveled increased to 2.92 trillion, up from 2.89 trillion in 2003, according to DOT’s Federal Highway Administration.
“Drivers are safer today on our nation’s highways than they have ever been, in part because of the safer cars, higher safety belt use and stronger safety laws that this department has helped champion,” said DOT Secretary Norman Mineta.
“But as long as the number of highway deaths remains as high as it is, we will keep advocating for the kind of vehicles, roads and driving habits that make people safer in their cars and trucks,” he said in a statement.
Since 2001, the number of states with primary safety-belt laws has increased to 22, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, leading to an 80% safety belt use level, the highest ever, NHTSA said.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico now have 0.08 blood alcohol laws for drivers. Minnesota’s 0.08 law took effect Monday.
