Early estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate a 3.6% decrease in the number of Americans who lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2023 compared to the previous year. The NHTSA noted that the final quarter of 2023 marked the seventh consecutive period of decline in roadway fatalities. Overall, the fatality rate dropped to 1.26 fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from 1.33 fatalities in 2022, resulting in 40,990 deaths in car accidents throughout the year. Despite the decrease in traffic fatalities, the total miles traveled on roadways increased by over 2%, approximately 67.5 billion miles, according to the preliminary 2023 data. These declines come after a period of historically high levels of traffic fatalities, with the second quarter of 2021 experiencing the most significant quarterly increase since the establishment of NHTSA's fatality analysis reporting system in 1975. In the preliminary data released by the NHTSA, several states stood out for their remarkable declines in roadway deaths during 2023. Alaska led the pack with a year-on-year decline of 30.5%, resulting in 57 roadway deaths for the year. Maine followed closely with a decline of 25.8%, recording 135 fatalities, while Massachusetts experienced a significant drop of 19.8%, with 348 deaths reported. The above slideshow reviews the states with the biggest increase in roadway deaths (based on percent) during the first nine months of 2023, according data from the NHTSA. Related: |

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