Motor vehicle crashes in North Dakota fell 10 percent in 2018 to 104 fatalities, according to North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) crash data and the North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP).
The figure is the lowest fatality rate since 2008.
Preventable behavior was the cause of the majority of the fatalities. Approximately 50 percent of victims were not wearing a seat belt, 32 percent involved alcohol, and 35 percent were driving above the speed limit.
When broken down by accident type, 76 of the fatalities involved passenger vehicles and two involved trains. The rest of the fatalities included 16 motorcyclist deaths; six pedestrians deaths; two bicyclists deaths; or two all-terrain vehicles deaths.
“While the NDDOT is continually making highway improvements, there is still work to be done,” Tom Sorel, NDDOT director, said. “We must continue to make progress towards our goal of Vision Zero – zero fatalities and zero serious injuries on North Dakota roadways. This can be achieved through establishing a culture of personal responsibility where motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries are recognized as preventable and not tolerated.”
While motor vehicle fatalities declined, motorcycle fatalities increased by 23 percent. The majority of the fatalities, 69 percent, were not wearing helmets.