Traffic deaths down in the first half, marking fifth quarterly decline

Traffic deaths have declined 3.3% through the first six months of 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) early estimates. In the first half, More than 19,500 Americans died in roadway accidents.

“After spiking during the pandemic, traffic deaths are continuing to slowly come down — but we still have a long way to go,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a release. “Safety has always been the core mission of this department, and thanks to President Biden, we are delivering unprecedented resources to communities across the country to make their streets safer.”

The NHTSA reported that traffic fatalities declined 6.7% during the first quarter and dropped 0.2% in Q2.

The drop in fatalities came during a period that saw Americans driving more, with the number of miles driven up by around 35 million miles, according to the NHTSA, which reported this was a 2.3% increase compared with the year prior.

Although traffic deaths were down overall, some states did see more fatalities during the start of this year. In Ohio, for example, traffic deaths were up 6% in the first half, while Iowa, Montana, North Dakota and Tennessee also saw more roadway fatalities.

“While we are encouraged to see traffic fatalities continue to decline from the height of the pandemic, there’s still significantly more work to be done,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said in a release. “NHTSA is addressing traffic safety in many ways, including new rulemakings for lifesaving vehicle technologies and increased Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for state highway safety offices. We will continue to work with our safety partners to meet the collective goal of zero fatalities.”

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