There were only 1.09 traffic fatalities per 100 million miles driven in America last year, the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started keeping records in 1949. The reason? Despite government fear-mongering, we now have safer cars and fewer drunk and high drivers.
Despite fear-mongering from the government that we're all going to be killed in a fiery crash because kids have cell phones in their cars, people are actually dying a lot less in car accidents. The preliminary number from NHTSA shows 32,310 died in car crashes last year, a 1.7 decrease over 2010. The number of car fatalities has decreased every year since 2005 when it hit 42,708.
NHTSA will announce their full statistics and explanations for the improvement later this year, but factors contributing to the decline include a decrease in alcohol-related and drug-related fatalities, 3% and 17%, respectively. The greatest drop in road deaths was in New England, which saw a 7.2% decrease year-over-year.
Perhaps more people are taking transit because of the economy? States lacking robust mass-transit infrastructure like California, Arizona, and Hawaii saw a combined 3.3% increase in traffic deaths.
Our theory? People switching from terrible handling SUV rhinoceroses to slightly more maneuverable CUV hippos.
Photo Credit: IIHS