Marginal US road safety improvement for 2018?

US roads have been slightly safer in 2018, according to new data from the National Safety Council (NSC). The research shows that motor-vehicle deaths have decreased in the first five months of 2018.There were 15,280 deaths in motor vehicle related incidents through January and May 2018. This represents a drop of 0.5% from the 15,330 deaths recorded through January and May 2017. However for the period through January and May 2016, the data shows that the rate of motor vehicle related deaths was 9% higher, h
July 19, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
US roads have been slightly safer in 2018, according to new data from the National Safety Council (NSC). The research shows that motor-vehicle deaths have decreased in the first five months of 2018.There were 15,280 deaths in motor vehicle related incidents through January and May 2018. This represents a drop of 0.5% from the 15,330 deaths recorded through January and May 2017. However for the period through January and May 2016, the data shows that the rate of motor vehicle related deaths was 9% higher, highlighting an overall improvement.


The US scores poorly amongst developed nations for its rate of road deaths, with 12.2deaths/100,000 of population in the period through January and May 2018, a drop of 1% from the same period in 2017. The number of injuries from motor vehicle crashes in the first five months of 2018 stood at around 1,742,000, a drop of around 0.5% from the same period in 2017. In all the cost of motor vehicle related deaths, injuries and property damage in the US during the first five months of 2018 was around US$157.7 billion. This represents an increase of some 2% from the figures for same period in 2017.

One point to note is that NSC data is not directly comparable with figures from the 2467 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is because the NSC counts both traffic and nontraffic deaths that occur within a year of the incident, while NHTSA counts  only traffic deaths that occur within 30 days.

The 2016 data comes from the National Center for Health Statistics. All other figures are National Safety Council estimates.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Kenya sees slight drop in road casualties
    December 19, 2018
    Kenya is seeing a slight improvement in its road safety statistics, with a minor reduction in the country’s annual road casualty rate. The data comes from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which reveals a drop in road deaths for 2018 compared with 2017. In 208 3,207 people died in road crashes in Kenya, a notable fall from the 3,658 recorded in 2017. Pedestrians accounted for 1,023 fatalities, while motorcycle riders accounted for 669 deaths. Meanwhile 658 vehicle passengers and 322 ve
    Read More
  • Report on cost of US crashes
    March 11, 2016
    A comprehensive analysis of crash statistics in the US reveals the shocking cost of vehicle crashes. The report has been collated by the by the US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is based on details collated for 2010. The report states that in 2010 there were 32,999 fatalities, 3.9 million injured, and 24 million vehicles damaged following crashes in the US. The economic costs of these crashes totalled US$242 billion. Included in these losses are lost
    Read More
  • Ecuador’s worryingly high fatal crash rate
    June 21, 2013
    Ecuador’s shocking high road fatality rate is giving cause for concern. Official statistics compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest that Ecuador is second only to Venezuela in Latin America with regard to fatalities on the road network. The WHO figures show that Ecuador has an average of 28 deaths/100,000 inhabitants from road crashes, well above the global average of 18 deaths/100,000 inhabitants. Only Venezuela’s even more startling figure of 37 deaths/100,000 inhabitants is higher in Lati
    Read More
  • New Zealand is bucking the trend in road safety with increasing crashes
    June 4, 2015
    New Zealand is bucking the trend worldwide on improving road safety with an increase in crashes on its roads. The country saw 5.7 road deaths/100,000 people in 2014 according to the International Road Traffic and Accident Database, an increase of 16.1% from the previous year. This is the largest increase in the 28 countries surveyed, and largely reverses a 17% reduction from the previous year. The death toll on New Zealand’s roads so far in 2015 is 134, compared to 123 and 100 in the comparable periods of 2
    Read More

Highlighted Content