US road safety improvement

The US Department of Transportation reports that road deaths fell by 9.7% to 33,808 in 2009, compared with 37,423 in 2008.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The 2364 US Department of Transportation reports that road deaths fell by 9.7% to 33,808 in 2009, compared with 37,423 in 2008. Traffic deaths in the US are now at the lowest level since 1950. Analysts say the drop reflects improved safety features in cars, better enforcement of drink driving laws and more people wearing seat belts.

The rate of deaths per 160 million km travelled dropped to a record low of 1.13 deaths in 2009. Alcohol-impaired driving deaths were also down 7.4% to 10,839, while motorcycle fatalities dropped 16% to 4,462. The estimated average distance travelled by motorists rose 0.2%.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • World road safety status hits plateau
    May 27, 2016
    The World Health Organisation has published a new report on road safety during 2015. Its global status report uses information from 180 countries and indicates that the total number of road traffic deaths has plateaued at 1.25 million/year worldwide. The annual global road fatality rate has remained roughly the same since 2007, a point worth noting considering growing vehicle numbers around the globe. Low income countries remain those of most concern for this report as in previous years. But some progress i
    Read More
  • The financial cost of crashes in the US
    February 1, 2023
    The financial cost of road crashes in the US places a heavy burden.
    Read More
  • European Transport Safety Commission makes call for traffic safety boost
    July 10, 2015
    In 2013, 7,600 people died in road traffic while cycling or walking in European Union (EU) countries – the equivalent of a commercial airliner full of passengers being lost every week Because of this risk of death, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) wants vehicle manufacturers and local authorities to pay special attention to improving safety for cyclists, walkers and pedestrians. In a new report, the ETSC said the numbers being killed are falling more slowly than those for vehicle occupants. Over
    Read More
  • Road deaths: 'something must change' - GHSA
    March 4, 2024
    The ‘grim and tragic milestone' of a total four million deaths in the US requires renewed road safety action, says the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
    Read More

Highlighted Content