16,290 People Died in Vehicular Crashes Through June 2012

...and PAY ATTENTION...

9/28/2102
CNN
By: Jim Barnett

The U.S. government reports a 9% increase in motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first half of 2012, the largest jump during the first six months of any previous year since data was first collected in 1975.

A statistical projection from January through June estimates 16,290 people died in vehicular crashes this year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The previous highest increase during the first half of the year was 6.4% in 1979.

In releasing the report, the administration said, "While it is too soon to speculate on the contributing factors or potential implications of any increase on our roadways, it should be noted that the historic downward trend in traffic fatalities in the past several years... means any comparison will be to an unprecedented low baseline figure."

The government pointed out fatalities during the first half of the year have declined by about 27% from the recent high in 2006 (20,500 fatalities) to the first half of 2011 (14,950 fatalities.)

The American Automobile Association called this year's numbers "alarming."

"This news is very disturbing," Lon Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement. "We have worked decades to reduce fatalities in America... but this is a serious shot across the bow, a warning that as we drive more, our roads may not be as safe as we thought they were." Complete CNN Article

NHTSA Report

Traffic Fatalities Up 13.5% in First Quarter 2012

Let's Be Careful Out There!

July 23, 2012.

Traffic deaths launched 13.5 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year, and the number of deaths per miles driven also rose significantly, according to preliminary NHTSA estimates released Friday, July 20, 2012.

An estimated 7,630 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 1st Quarter 2012, up from 6,720 deaths in the first quarter of last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Both the total number of fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (VMT) during 1st quarter 2012 were the highest Q1 results since 2008. NHTSA Report

Backover Accidents Kill 228 People Per Year and Injure 17,000

Government statistics indicate that 228 people of all ages — 44 percent of whom are under age 5 — die every year in backover accidents involving passenger vehicles. About 17,000 people a year are injured in such accidents.

Backing Rules

Rule #1:

Do not back unless you absolutely have to

Rule #2:

Never back when children are present

Rule #3:

Back first, meaning you should back before you park your vehicle,

not when you leave

Rule #4

Walk Around Your Vehicle Prior to Backing

The New York Times
By Nick Bunkley
2/27/2012

On average, two children die and about 50 are injured every week when someone accidentally backs over them in a vehicle, according to KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit group that pushed the government to begin tracking such tragedies. And more than two-thirds of the time, a parent or other close relative is behind the wheel.

Now, auto safety regulators have decided to do something about it. Federal regulators plan to announce this week that automakers will be required to put rearview cameras in all passenger vehicles by 2014 to help drivers see what is behind them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which proposed the mandate in late 2010, is expected to send a final version of the rule to Congress on Wednesday.

Cars are filled with safety features that have been mandated by government regulators over the years, including air bags and the Liddy Light, the third brake light named for Elizabeth Dole, who made it standard as secretary of transportation in the 1980s.

But the rearview camera requirement is one of the biggest steps taken to protect people outside of a vehicle.

“We haven’t done anything else to protect pedestrians,” said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety in Washington. “This is one thing we can do and should do.”

However, in a preliminary version circulated for public comment, regulators predicted that adding the cameras and viewing screens will cost the auto industry as much as $2.7 billion a year, or $160 to $200 a vehicle. At least some of the cost is expected to be passed on to consumers through higher prices.

But regulators say that 95 to 112 deaths and as many as 8,374 injuries could be avoided each year by eliminating the wide blind spot behind a vehicle. Government statistics indicate that 228 people of all ages — 44 percent of whom are under age 5 — die every year in backover accidents involving passenger vehicles. About 17,000 people a year are injured in such accidents. Continue Reading Nick Bunkley's Article

NHTSA States 2011 Traffic Deaths Decline...BUT 24,050 Traffic Deaths in 9 Months

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an estimated 1.6% decline in traffic fatalities during the first three quarters of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

This decline is hardly a reason for breaking out the party favors as 24,050 traffic fatalities occured during the first 9 months of 2011. 24,050 is over 1/2 of the entire population of Edina, MN and almost the entire population of Stevens Point, WI.

For the first 9 months of 2010, an estimated 24,437 people died in motor vehicle crashes.

While the estimated traffic fatalities decreased by an estimated 1.6% year over year, total vehicle miles traveled (VMT also declined by an estimated 1.3%.

According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle fatalities have been on a downward trend since 2005. Traffic fatalities have declined approximately 24% from the 43,510 fatalities in 2005. NHTSA has traffic fatality data going back to 1975. NHTSA Preliminary Report

A disturbing trend is the increase in teenage driver deaths.

From EHS Today:

The new GHSA report revealed that 211 16- and 17-year-old drivers died in the first 6 months of the year, compared to the 190 who died in the first half of 2010. Researchers have not yet determined whether that increase in fatal teen crashes continued in the second half of 2011 – but if it did, the 8-year streak of continuous decline in teen driver deaths for this age group might be over.

Rental Car Industry Not Regulated Yet They are Largest Purchaser of New Cars...say what?

"The rental car industry is the single largest purchaser of new cars, and the single largest source of used cars in North America, yet they have escaped all regulation and oversight from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)," Houck says.

USA Today
By: Gary Stroller
2/20/2012

Raechel and Jacqueline Houck died in a fiery 2004 crash in a rental car that "was essentially a ticking time bomb," their mother, Cally Houck, says.

The vehicle — a PT Cruiser under a safety recall for a power-steering fluid problem — was not repaired and had been rented to three other renters and then the Houck sisters at an Enterprise Rent-A-Car facility in Capitola, Calif.

The power-steering fluid leaked and caught fire, Cally Houck says, causing Raechel, 24, and Jacqueline, 20, to lose control of the car, which slammed into a semi tractor-trailer.

Enterprise admitted liability, and Houck was awarded $15 million in damages by a jury two years ago. She says she will keep fighting to improve auto-rental safety until Congress makes the industry adhere to federal safety regulations.

Documents submitted to NHTSA by Chrysler and General Motors do not reveal how many recalled vehicles were rented out before they were fixed, but they show that it can take months, a year or more before rental companies repair a recalled vehicle.

The documents show that no major auto-rental company fixed all its recalled vehicles within a year. GM documents, for example, show that a year after getting a recall notice about a shift lever indicator problem in 2009 Buick Enclaves, Chevrolet Cobalts and seven other types of vehicles in their fleets, Avis Budget had fixed 35% of them. The documents show that Enterprise fixed 34% of these types of vehicles in their fleets within 30 days after the recall, 52% within 60 days, 62% within 120 days and 74% within a year.

Hertz, according to the documents, fixed 18% within 30 days after the recall, 36% within 120 days and 52% within a year.

Hertz Senior Vice President Richard Broome says data submitted to NHTSA by auto manufacturers are inaccurate. The data include "countless instances" of vehicles that rental companies had sold before recall notices were issued, he says.

Consumer-safety advocates aren't convinced that rental companies are so conscientious about fixing their vehicles. Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (carconsumers.org), says lobbyists for rental car companies told her last year at a meeting in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento that their companies sometimes needed to rent cars under recall, particularly during busy holiday weekends.

Continue Reading Article at USA Today

Hang Up and Drive (Editorial)

Distracted drivers are a menace, and they're not getting the message. But we don't need a broader law; we need more enforcement of laws already on the books.
Chicago Tribune
Editorials
12/23/2011

The National Transportation Safety Board wants all 50 states to ban cellphone use by drivers. No texting, no tweeting, no talking — not even on a hands-free phone.

It's a standard that goes beyond anything on the books in any state. The board has no authority to impose it. The data on accidents involving cellphones is inconclusive, the government is not our nanny, and eating a chili dog while driving is dangerous, too.

A nationwide ban will not happen.

That doesn't mean the NTSB isn't onto something. If you're not frightened by what's going on around you during your daily commute, you're not paying attention. Drivers are texting while flying down the expressways, sending emails in stop-and-go traffic on Lake Shore Drive, carrying on animated conversations while changing lanes with one hand on the phone and the other holding a Starbucks.

All of that is already illegal in Chicago and beyond. Have you noticed fewer people doing it? Neither have we.

A second agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, says distracted driving was a factor in more than 3,000 fatal accidents in 2010. It doesn't say how many involved texting, how many involved talking on the phone or how many involved reaching behind the seat to retrieve the toddler's fallen pacifier.

But one of those accidents provided the NTSB with a horrific anecdote to support last week's call for a comprehensive ban. A 19-year-old driver sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes before his pickup truck plowed into a tractor trailer near Gray Summit, Mo. The chain-reaction collision also involved two school buses. The teen driver and a student on one of the buses died, and 38 others were injured.

But a nationwide ban wouldn't have prevented that tragedy. Missouri already prohibits drivers under 21 from texting while driving. Thirty-five states prohibit texting by all drivers; 30 ban cellphone use by novice drivers; and 10 have outlawed the use of even hands-free phones. Hundreds of local governments have their own laws covering behind-the-wheel cellphone use. And we would argue that all of those prohibitions (and a lot more) are covered under broader distracted driving laws in force in most states, including Illinois. (Think about that, you in the gray car, with the eye makeup implements in both hands, gazing at yourself in the rearview mirror, while drifting lane to lane on Columbus Drive, in Grant Park.)

Still, a traffic safety commission survey found that 1 in 10 drivers — and half of those ages 21 to 24 — said they'd texted or emailed while behind the wheel. At any given moment, 1 in 100 drivers is texting, tweeting, emailing or web-surfing, a rate that's up 50 percent over the previous year. Most of them said they don't think it's dangerous.

While states have been busy passing laws to limit distractions, Americans have been acquiring all sorts of new gadgets that promote multitasking in the car. GPS systems; MP3 players; smartphones that enable users to play games, pay bills, order dinner or watch a movie while barreling down the Eisenhower. But the distractions aren't all high-tech. The worst local example we can think of involved a driver who struck and killed a motorcyclist while painting her nails.

Distracted drivers are a menace, and they're not getting the message. But we don't need a broader law; we need more enforcement of laws already on the books.

What if police pounced on behind-the-wheel texting with the same zeal applied to parking meter violations? What if those hated red-light cameras could bust you for talking on your handheld phone? If the risk of killing yourself or others isn't deterrent enough, maybe a ticket or three will get your attention.

It's time we all started taking these dangers seriously. Keep your hands (thumbs and all) on the wheel.

2010 Highway Deaths fell to 32,885 however Pedestrian Deaths Rose

Before getting all yippee about the reduction in traffic deaths, 32,885 is the equivalent of the entire population of Brainerd, MN and Stillwater, MN. Pedestrians remained a target in 2010 with 4,280 reported deaths and 70,000 injured.

NHTSA 21-11
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Contact: Karen Aldana
Tel: 202-366-9550

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced updated 2010 fatality and injury data showing that highway deaths fell to 32,885 for the year, the lowest level since 1949. The record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even as American drivers traveled nearly 46 billion more miles during the year, an increase of 1.6 percent over the 2009 level.

"While we have more work to do to continue to protect American motorists, these numbers show we're making historic progress when it comes to improving safety on our nation's roadways," said Secretary LaHood. "Thanks to the tireless work of our safety agencies and partner organizations over the past few decades, to save lives and reduce injuries, we're saving lives, reducing injuries, and building the foundation for what we hope will be even greater success in the future."

The updated information released by the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today indicates 2010 also saw the lowest fatality rate ever recorded, with 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2010, down from 1.15 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009. Other key statistics include:

• Fatalities declined in most categories in 2010, including for occupants of passenger cars and light trucks (including SUVs, minivans and pickups).
• Deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers dropped 4.9 percent in 2010, taking 10,228 lives compared to 10,759 in 2009.
• Fatalities rose among pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and large truck occupants.

New Measures of Fatalities Related to Distracted Driving

NHTSA also unveiled a new measure of fatalities related to distracted driving today, called "distraction-affected crashes." Introduced for 2010 as part of a broader effort by the agency to refine its data collection to get better information about the role of distraction in crashes, the new measure is designed to focus more narrowly on crashes in which a driver was most likely to have been distracted. While NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) previously recorded a broad range of potential distractions, such as careless driving and cell phone present in the vehicle, the new measure focuses on distractions that are most likely to affect crash involvement, such as distraction by dialing a cellular phone or texting and distraction by an outside person/event. New data released today by NHTSA using its refined methodology show an estimated 3,092 fatalities in distraction-affected crashes in 2010.

The NHTSA effort to refine distraction data is similar to a step taken with alcohol information in FARS data for 2006. Prior to 2006, FARS reported "alcohol-related crashes," which was defined as crashes in which a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist had a blood alcohol level of .01 or higher. In an effort to focus on crashes in which alcohol was most likely to be a causative factor, NHTSA introduced the new measure, "alcohol-impaired driving crashes," with a more narrow definition including only those crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above, the legal limit in every state.

"Even as we celebrate the incredible gains we're making in reducing traffic fatalities, we recognize our responsibility to improve our understanding of the dangers that continue to threaten drivers and passengers," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "That's why, under the leadership of Secretary LaHood, NHTSA is working to refine the way we collect data on distracted driving and laying the groundwork for additional research to capture real-world information on this risky behavior."

While the explicit change in methodology means the new measure cannot be compared to the 5,474 "distraction-related" fatalities reported in 2009, other NHTSA data offer some indication that driver distraction continues to be a significant problem. The agency's nationwide observational survey of drivers in traffic remains unchanged between 2009 and 2010, with 5 percent of drivers seen talking on handheld phones. In addition, given ongoing challenges in capturing the scope of the problem — including individuals' reluctance to admit behavior, lack of witnesses, and in some cases the death of the driver — NHTSA believes the actual number of crashes that involve distracted driving could be higher.

National Attitude Survey on Distracted Driving

A new national NHTSA survey offers additional insights into how drivers behave when it comes to texting and cell phone use while behind the wheel and their perceptions of the safety risks of distracted driving. Survey respondents indicated they answer calls on most trips; they acknowledge few driving situations when they would not use the phone or text; and yet they feel unsafe when riding in vehicles in which the driver is texting and they support bans on texting and cell phone use. These findings provide further evidence that distracted driving is a complex problem that is both hard to measure and difficult to address given conflicting public attitudes and behaviors. View the new telephone distraction survey

"The findings from our new attitude survey help us understand why some people continue to make bad decisions about driving distracted—but what's clear from all of the information we have is that driver distraction continues to be a major problem," said Administrator Strickland. "We need to maintain our focus on this issue through education, laws, enforcement, and vehicle design to help keep drivers' attention on the road."

Among the findings, more than three-quarters of drivers report that they are willing to answer calls on all, most, or some trips. Drivers also report that they rarely consider traffic situations when deciding when to use their phone. View the new electronic device survey

While most drivers said they are willing to answer a call and many will send a text while driving, almost all of these same drivers reported that they would feel very unsafe as a passenger if their driver was sending or receiving text messages. Over one-third report that they would feel very unsafe if their driver was using a handheld phone. Link to Report

M.I.T. has an Algorithm for Predicting a Red-Light Runner

Wall Street has been using algorithms for years

 to trade the market. Not likely an algorithm will prevent

a stock market crash however,

M.I.T. might reduce intersection crashes.

The New York Times
By: Paul Stenquist
11/30/2012

A green light at an intersection may offer a driver the legal right to proceed, but it offers no guarantee of safe crossing. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an algorithm to predict when an oncoming vehicle would be likely to run a red light.

With the proliferation of spatial sensors, advanced telematics systems and other hallmarks of so-called smart cars, algorithms could help prevent drivers from getting into accidents, according to Jonathan How, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at M.I.T.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that of 7,000 traffic-related fatalities in 2008, 700 of them were the result of drivers running red lights at intersections, according to a media release from M.I.T. Half of those killed were not the drivers of the offending vehicle, but were passengers, pedestrians or the driver of another vehicle.

Developed by Georges Aoude, formerly a student of Professor How, the M.I.T. algorithm used parameters like the vehicle’s rate of deceleration and distance from the traffic light to determine which vehicles were most likely to run the light. If the algorithm were to be put in place, that data would be generated by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a smart-car technology being researched by the Transportation Department in conjunction with a number of vehicle manufacturers.

“If you had some type of heads-up display for the driver, it might be something where the algorithms are analyzing and saying, ‘We’re concerned,’” Professor How said in the release. “Even though your light might be green, it may recommend you not go, because there are people behaving badly that you may not be aware of.”

The algorithm was tested at an intersection in Virginia. Applying it to data from more than 15,000 approaching vehicles, the researchers observed that the algorithm accurately identified red-light violators 85 percent of the time. The identification was achieved a couple of seconds before those vehicles reached the intersection — sufficient time, the researchers said, to allow drivers to react.

The research team is investigating ways to use the algorithm in a closed-loop system that would provide a recommended response to the driver whose vehicle may be in danger. They also plan to modify the algorithm to test its efficacy in air traffic control applications.

Until M.I.T. perfects their algorithm,

BE ATTENTIVE when entering all intersections.

Assume Nothing and Stay Alive!

Dear American Motorists: "If you can't stay AWAKE, then stay off the road."

School Transportation News
By Ryan Gray
11/7/11

Sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, "Drowsy Driving Prevention Week" began Nov. 6 and concludes Nov. 12. According to a 2002 National Sleep Foundation study, half of all American adult drivers, especially young males, admitted to driving drowsy, and 20 percent said they had fallen asleep while behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, NHTSA estimates that drowsy driving causes 100,000 automobile crashes each year, which result in 71,000 fatalities and 1,550 fatalities. But NHTSA adds, drowsy driving can be the most difficult for police and crash investigators to detect and prove, unlike speeding, alcohol and drug use and weather.

"For more than 20 years fatigue has been recognized as a transportation danger on the NTSB's Most Wanted List," said NTSB's Hersman. "Tired drivers pose a safety risk because fatigue can degrade every aspect of human performance. It slows reaction time, impairs judgment, and degrades memory."

Fatigued driving among all drivers, including those with their CDLs, remains a hot-button issue for the NTSB, which only makes recommendations to U.S. Department of Transportation agencies, states and organizations on how to improve the nation's highway safety.

In addition to the common-sense recommendation that all drivers including transportation professionals get adequate sleep before getting behind the wheel, NTSB advises regulators to play a larger role to play in establishing commercial hours-of-service regulations. NTSB also said employers must develop guidance and rules for proper screening, detection and treatment for sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea.

"Drowsy Driving Prevention Week is an ideal time to remind drivers that being well rested is a safety measure that can save lives 52 weeks a year," adde Hersman. "If you can't stay alert, then stay off the road."

Distracted Driving is the #1 Killer of American Teens

New National Survey Shows Eighty-Two Percent

of Young Adults Say They Have Read a

Standard Text Message While Driving

Washington, D.C., October 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Eighty-two percent of young adult drivers (16-24) have read a standard text message while driving, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. In an effort to educate young drivers about the dangers of texting while driving, the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection agencies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council are launching a new public service advertising campaign (PSA) nationwide. The campaign includes TV, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs. Additionally, to extend the campaign messages online, new Facebook, Twitter and YouTube social media channels go live today.

NHTSA reports that distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens. Sixteen percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reports that a texting driver is twenty-three times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.

Give Pedestrians a Break and a Brake

In 1975, Hollywood released the cult action film Death Race 2000. It was a brutal cross-country race of the future where contestants scored points for speed and the number of innocent pedestrians struck and killed.

Time for a reality check American motorists, Death Race 2000 was a movie!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 4,92 pedestrian fatalities in 2009 and 59,000 pedestrian reported injuries in the same year. On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured every nine minutes in traffic crashes.

41% of all children under the age of 10 who were killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians. Pedestrians age 65+ accounted for 19% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2009. In Minnesota, 10% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrians (2009).

We are long overdue to give pedestrians a break and a brake. This is not a movie!

5 Simple Pedestrian Life and Injury Saving Driving Do's

1. Make eye contact with the pedestrian. Let them know you see them and then expect the unexpected. A horn and brake lights are not standard options on a pedestrian.
2. When coming to a stop at a controlled intersection, stop before the crosswalk, not on it and not through it. You are stopping because you have a red light. This means kids entering the crosswalk to your left and/or on your right have a green light. GIVE THEM THE CROSSWALK!
3. Threading the needle is a sewing term not a driving strategy. Just because there is space in between pedestrians crossing the street, does not mean you shoot through it. Make absolutely sure the crosswalk is clear. The gap can and does fill in quickly when one is trying to catch their bus.
4. When approaching a street from an alley, STOP BEFORE the SIDEWALK. Make sure the sidewalk is clear before you cross the walk and enter the street. Not only is it the law, but picture yourself telling mom who is pushing her child in the stroller how sorry you are for the accident!
5. Right turn on Red scares we pedestrians to death. First, the driver has more than likely already blocked the crosswalk, Secondly, driver totally focused on traffic to his/her right, because, God forbid, the driver pulls out too soon and gets hit by a vehicle with the green light. Thirdly, how long has it been since the "right turn on red" driver bothered to look to the right and see if anyone is entering the crosswalk? Finally, there appears to be a small window to make the turn on red however one needs to give it more gas to make the turn. Scary scenario: pedestrian in crosswalk hit by an accelerating "right turn on red" vehicle.

We all have obligation to bring our "A" game when operating a vehicle around pedestrians.

NHTSA Creates New Web Page Dedicated to School Bus Safety

School Transportation News
October 24, 2011
By Ryan Gray

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced at the NAPT Annual Summit that it has created a new web page dedicated entirely to school bus safety.

This extensive new resource is geared toward school transportation professionals and the public, and it features numerous training materials, such as training for school bus drivers. It also provides the latest news in school transportation and industry regulations as well as information on current issues like seat belts and safer bus-stop locations.

NHTSA’s school bus program administrator, announced that the updated School Bus Driver In-Service Safety Series is now available online at www.stnonline.com/go/856. The training covers such topics as driver attitude and knowledge of bus routes, emergency evacuations, highway rail grade crossings, loading and unloading, vehicle training and student management, including students with special needs.

School buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting children back and forth to school

Every 15 1/2 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies as result of a vehicle crash

American Highways, Streets and Roadways

Should Not be Confused

with the Jungles of Vietnam

58,148 Americans killed during the Vietnam War

33,808 deaths in U.S. from vehicle "accidents" in 2009

Come on America, PAY ATTENTION

Every 5.7 seconds: a vehicle crash is reported to the police.

Every 15 1/2 minutes: someone dies from a vehicle crash

Every 5 minutes: pedestrian or bicyclist injured in traffic crash

The highest price we pay for car crashes is in the loss of human lives, however society also bears the brunt of the many costs associated with motor vehicle accidents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in 2010 that the cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with motor vehicle crash injuries was over $99 billion, or nearly $500, for each licensed driver in the United States. In addition, every 10 seconds an American is treated in an emergency department for crash-related injuries, based on data from 2005.

A 2008 report by the Automobile Association of America states that according to the Federal Highway Administration, the per-person cost of traffic fatalities in 2005 dollars is $3.2 million and $68,170 for injuries. AAA estimates the cost of traffic crashes to be $166.7 billion. Costs include medical, emergency services, police services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life. Read AAA executive summary (PDF).

In 2010, an estimated 32,788 people died in motor vehicle crashes, down 3 percent from 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In 2009, 33,808 people died in motor vehicle crashes and an additional 2,217,000 people were injured.

Who Pays?

Private insurers pay approximately 50% of all motor vehicle crash costs. Individual crash victims pay about 26%, while third parties such as uninvolved motorists delayed in traffic, charities and health care providers pay about 14%. Federal revenues account for 6%, while state and local municipalities pick up about 3%. Overall, those not directly involved in crashes pay for nearly three-quarters of all crash costs, primarily through insurance premiums, taxes and travel delay (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

Crash Type and Driver Behavior

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports in 2009 there were 5,505,000 police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes, down 5.3% from 5,811,000 in 2008. Of total crashes, 1,517,000 caused injuries and 3,957,000 caused property damage only.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates about 10 million or more crashes go unreported each year.
• Alcohol-Related Crashes: In 2009, 10,839 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes, down 7.4% from 11,711 in 2008. In 2009, alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 32% of all crash deaths. There is an alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 48 minutes in the U.S.
• Drunk Driving and Speeding: In 2009, 43% of intoxicated drivers (with a blood-alcohol content at or above 0.08%) involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 17% of sober drivers involved in fatal crashes.
• Speeding: In 2009, 10,591 lives were lost due to speed-related accidents.
• Speed-related crashes cost Americans $40.4 billion each year.
• In 2009, 39% of 15- to 20-year-old male drivers who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash.
  
• Red Light Running: More than 900 people a year die and nearly 2,000 are injured as a result of vehicles running red lights. About half of those deaths are pedestrians and occupants of other vehicles who are hit by red light runners.
• Fatigue: A study released in November 2010 conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety using NHTSA data for 1999-2008 found that 16.5%, or about 1 in 6 fatal crashes, involved a drowsy driver.
• Distracted Driving: A September 2010 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that in 2010 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving. The percentage of people killed in such crashes rose from 10% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2005 to 16% in 2009. Of those people killed, 995 involved reports of a cellphone as a distraction, or 18% of all distracted driving crash fatalities.
• Cellphone Use: In September 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis released the results of their National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which found that in 2008, 6% of drivers used hand-held cellphones, the same percentage as in 2007. Hand-held cellphone use was highest among 16 to 24 year olds (8% in 2008, down from 9% in 2007) and lowest among drivers 70 and older (1% in both 2007 and 2008).
• Non-Use of Seatbelts=$20 billion.

Hat tip to RMIIA (Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association for the layout)