New data from the U. S. Department of Transportation shows that traffic fatalities in 2019 have continued to decline, just as they did in 2018 and 2017.
According to DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), there were 32,160 traffic fatalities in 2019, a decrease of about 440 ( or 1.2 percent) from those who died in traffic accidents in 2018.
The fatality rate for 2019 was 1.10 fatalities for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), down from 1.13 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2018. If the early estimates hold out, it would be the second-lowest fatality rate per 100 million VMT is the NHTSA started recording fatal crash data.
“Safety is our top priority, so this report that traffic fatalities appear to have decreased again for the third year is great news,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
Fatalities involving at least one large truck are expected to increase. However, trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds involved in a traffic fatality seem to have increased by 1 percent, according to the data.
Fatalities decreased in most traffic safety categories, the report showed. Deaths involving passengers were down 4 percent, while fatalities involving drivers were down three percent. Fatalities involving motorcyclists, pedestrians, and pedalcyclists were also down.
Earlier this year, the NHTSA released $562 million in grants for highway safety programs to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs for traffic safety efforts at the state and local level.