In the year 2012, 33,561 people died which is 1082 more highway death as compared to year 2011, as per U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2012 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data.
“Highway deaths claim more than 30,000 lives each year and while we’ve made substantial progress over the past 50 years, it’s clear that we have much more work to do,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “As we look to the future, we must focus our efforts to tackle persistent and emerging issues that threaten the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians across the nation.”
Fatalities among pedestrians increased for the third consecutive year (6.4 percent increase over 2011). The data showed the large majority of pedestrian deaths occurred in urban areas, at non-intersections, at night and many involved alcohol.
Motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the third consecutive year (7.1 percent increase over 2011). Ten times as many riders died not wearing a helmet in states without a universal helmet law than in states with such laws.
Large-truck occupant fatalities increased for the third consecutive year (8.9 percent over 2011).
Deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers increased 4.6 percent in 2012, taking 10,322 lives compared to 9,865 in 2011. The majority of those crashes involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher – nearly double the legal limit.
The number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes decreased slightly from 3,360 in 2011 to 3,328, while an estimated 421,000 people were injured, a 9 percent increase from the estimated 387,000 people injured in 2011. NHTSA is just beginning to identify distraction-related accidents, and is continuing work to improve the way it captures data to better quantify and identify potential trends in this area.
Nighttime seat belt use continues to be a challenge. In nighttime crashes in 2012, almost two-thirds of the people that died were unrestrained.
“As a public health and safety agency, any increase in the number of deaths is cause for concern. While we’re seeing some unfortunate trends, we’re also seeing progress in some parts of the country,” said NHTSA Administrator David L. Strickland. “We will continue to work closely with our federal, state and local partners to change the way motorists behave on our roadways and build public awareness of key issues that have the potential to save many lives.”
The TRACY Firm has been holding the vehicle manufactures liable for their negligence in safety of the vehicle’s driver and occupants due to many defects (airbag, seat, rollover, structure etc). The law firm is specialized in handling only defective vehicle accident and injury cases but all over the nation for possible crashworthiness claims.
Contact us, or, call at 214-324-9000 if you or your loved ones are seriously injured in vehicle accident.
Sources: NHTSA
