NHTSA: Roadway deaths up during first half of 2022
While fatalities were up, the second quarter did see a decline in the rate of fatal accidents for the first time since 2020.
U.S. roadway deaths increased slightly (0.5%) during the first half of 2022, according to early estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which projected 20,175 traffic fatalities so far this year. There were 20,070 deaths in the first half of 2021, which saw traffic fatalities hit a 16-year high.
While this year’s first half traffic deaths are outpacing last year’s six-month total, 2022’s second quarter did see a drop in the rate of fatal traffic accidents, NHTSA reported.
Early data shows the fatality rate during the first half of 2022 stood at 1.27 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The first half of 2021 had a projected rate of 1.30 fatalities per 100 million VMT. Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Transportation revealed that miles traveled have increased 2.8% during 2022’s first half compared with the same period year prior.
“Traffic deaths appear to be declining for the first time since 2020, but they are still at high levels that call for urgent and sustained action. These deaths are preventable, not inevitable, and we should act accordingly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a release. “Safety is our guiding mission at the Department of Transportation, and we will redouble our efforts to reduce the tragic number of deaths on our nation’s roads.”
According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Q2 death toll ranks as the second highest number of projected fatalities during a second quarter since 2007 and was 15% higher than the total seen during Q2 2019.
To achieve these goals, the transportation department launched the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) early this year.
The NRSS action plan includes:
- Working with state and local road owners to build and maintain safer roadways through efforts such as speed limit setting and updating the manual on uniform traffic control devices.
- Promote the use of technology to improve driving safety, including rulemaking on automatic emergency braking and pedestrian automatic emergency braking as well as updates to the New Car Assessment Program.
- Investing in roadway safety through funds from the infrastructure bill. This includes a new $6 billion Safe Street and Roads For All program, supporting behavioral research and intervention and an additional $4 million in funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program.
While NRSS and the Department of Transportation are working to reduce roadway deaths, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety say more should be done to advance standards for automatic emergency braking systems, distracted driving monitoring systems and impaired driving prevention technology.
“It is devastating that our nation is not leading the world in lifesaving measures to improve safety for all road users. It is unspeakable that we are one of the worst in motor vehicle crash deaths among other high-income countries,” Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said in a release.
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