The number of people killed on U.S. highways rose in 2012 to end a run of six consecutive declines, which was the longest streak in the nation's history.

Crash fatalities rose 5.3 percent to an estimated 34,080 from a year earlier, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said today in a report. The jump coincided with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's campaign against distracted driving.

The fatality rate, or the number of people killed for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), rose also, from 1.1 in 2011 to 1.16 in 2012. The estimated fatality rates per 100 million VMT during the first, second, and third quarters of 2012 were 1.09, 1.13, 1.22 and 1.19, respectively.

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