Preliminary data released on July 1 by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show a 7.7 percent increase in motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2015. An estimated 35,200 people died in 2015, up from the 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014.
“Every American should be able to drive, ride or walk to their destination safely, every time,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We are analyzing the data to determine what factors contributed to the increase in fatalities and at the same time, we are aggressively testing new safety technologies, new ways to improve driver behavior, and new ways to analyze the data we have, as we work with the entire road safety community to take this challenge head-on.”
Although the data are preliminary and require additional analysis, the early NHTSA estimate shows 9 out of 10 regions within the United States had increased traffic deaths in 2015. The most significant increases came for pedestrians and bicyclists. View the report.
Read the full press release.
The Center for Transportation Safety supports multiple research programs to examine why roadway crashes occur and how they may be reduced. The Center is committed to reducing the frequency and severity of roadway crashes through a program of innovative and multi-disciplinary research, education and outreach. A few of the traffic safety education and outreach groups the CTS supports are:
Look Learn Learn – Texas motorcycle safety and awareness campaign
Teens in the Driver Seat – A peer-to-peer driving safety program for America’s youth
U in the Driver Seat – A peer-to-peer driving safety program for college students
Texas Impaired Driving Task Force – Members of the Task Force provide insight and guidance on the state’s impaired driving issue