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

  • Europe’s road safety targets at risk
    June 15, 2015
    The EU’s targets for road safety are at risk due to increased fatalities in France, Germany and UK. This new analysis has been published by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). According to the ETSC data, 2014 showed the lowest annual reduction in EU road deaths since 2001. In all 25,845 people were killed in road crashes in the 28 nations of the EU during 2014. This represented a decrease of just 0.6% compared to 2013. EU member states now need to cut deaths by almost 8% each year until 2020 to me
    Read More
  • IRF data 2018: Europe sees a decrease in road expenditure and road maintenance expenditure
    December 11, 2018
    The IRF World Road Statistics (WRS) 2018 edition has just been released. First analysis of the data on road expenditure and road maintenance expenditure in Europe shows a decrease of 11% and 8%, respectively, for the period of 2011 to 2016. Investing in roads and their maintenance is essential for economic growth and the mobility of a region. Maintenance by itself is crucial since poorly maintained roads lead to a downfall of the road network value, resulting in higher future costs related to road safety,
    Read More
  • Addressing a silent disaster
    September 24, 2012
    As India's economy registers 9% annual growth, promising material super-power status by mid-century, the nation is barely beginning to address a silent disaster, that of road casualties It was Dr. P K Sikdar [a director of International Consultants and Technocrats/ICT and a former director of the Central Road Research Institute/CRRI] who coined the phrase "silent disaster."
    Read More
  • Crash climb in Germany while KSI figures fall
    July 4, 2014
    Official data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reveals that in 2013, the country had the highest number of crashes since reunification. In all some 2.4 million crashes were reported to police, an increase of 0.5% from the figures recorded for 2012. But while the number of crashes grew, the number of fatalities on German roads fell to 3,339, a drop of 7.3% from 2012. This is the lowest annual road fatality rate since the country commenced compiling official records in 1953. Meanwhile the
    Read More

Highlighted Content