Last year, 37,461 people were killed in vehicle accidents, a 5.6 percent increase from 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The vehicle miles traveled also increased last year by
2.2 percent, resulting in 1.18 deaths per 100 vehicle miles traveled, a 2.6 percent increase from 2015.
Data was collected from every state and Washington D.C. The largest number of fatalities, 10,497, was caused by drunk driving. This was followed by the deaths of 10,428 individuals who were not wearing seatbelts and 10,111 deaths from speeding. The other deaths were caused by distracted driving.
Motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian deaths also increased.
“Safety programs such as those that have increased seat belt use and reduced impaired driving have substantially lowered the number of traffic fatalities over the years,” the NHTSA report said. “Vehicle improvements including technologies such as airbags and electronic stability control have also contributed greatly to reduce traffic deaths.”
The 375-member organizations of Road to Zero, an initiative by the National Safety Council, the U.S. DOT, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration, aims to eliminate traffic deaths by 2050.
Traffic deaths increased 8.4 percent from 2014 to 2015, the largest increase since 1964.