(Bloomberg) -- The death toll on U.S. highways rose 8.1% in the first half of 2015 as low fuel prices contributed to a jump in miles driven by Americans, according to new figures from the Transportation Department.
The preliminary figures represent a “troubling departure” from a general downward trend over the past decade, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report released Tuesday. In 2014, the fatality rate hit an all-time low.
“These numbers are a call to action,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in an e-mailed statement. “Everyone with a responsibility for road safety — the federal, state and local governments, law enforcement, vehicle manufacturers, safety advocates and road users -- needs to reassess our efforts to combat threats to safety.”
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