Skip to main content

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

  • US driving distances see continued increase
    September 6, 2017
    New data released by the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that US driving topped 2.53 trillion kilometres in the first six months of 2017. This continues a streak of steadily increasing vehicle distances travelled that began in 2011.
  • Road safety improvement for France
    February 14, 2022
    France is benefiting from a road safety improvement.
  • Safety first at IRF Caribbean Regional Congress in Jamaica
    July 7, 2015
    The wealth of experiences and ideas shared during the recent 4th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress underscored the International Road Federation’s value in shaping policy contributions to global transportation challenges ranging from resilient infrastructure to road safety. The regional congress coincided with the start of the 3rd United Nations Global Road Safety Week, an initiative aimed at fostering discussion and awareness-raising in more than 100 countries. The event was run by the IRF Washington office
  • Continued improvement in Swedish road safety
    April 11, 2014
    Sweden’s road safety continues to improve as highlighted by the latest official statistics. These show that a 9% drop in road fatalities for 2013 compared with the previous year. In all 260 people were killed in road crashes on Sweden’s roads during 2013. The official data was compiled by Trafikanalys and to put this in context, Sweden’s rate of road-related fatalities is now at its lowest level since 1944. It is worth noting that in 1944, there were comparatively few registered motor vehicles in Sweden whi