Traffic deaths in the United States decreased by 3.1 percent in 2013 from the previous year and have declined nearly 25 percent in a decade, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Occupant deaths in passenger vehicle crashed, including passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks, totaled 21,132 the lowest figure since 1975.
Additionally, motorcyclist and large truck occupant deaths decreased for the first time since 2009, by 6.4 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Other key figures from the December 19 report include:
- Pedestrian deaths declined by 1.7 percent to 4,735 but were 15 percent higher than the record low of 4,109 in 2009
- The only category of occupants and non-occupants that saw an increase in deaths was pedal cyclists (743 in 2013, compared with 734 in 2012). Pedal cyclists are defined by NHTSA as “bicyclists and other riders of two-wheel non-motorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles powered solely by pedals.”
- Deaths in distraction-related crashes fell by 6.7 percent to 3,154. Yet, the estimated number of injured in these crashes (424,000) rose by 1 percent.
- Alcohol-impaired driving deaths declined by 2.5 percent to 10,076, making up 31 percent of overall traffic deaths in 2013.
Source: National Safety Council, January 2015
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