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Traffic deaths in the United States rose 7.7 percent in 2015 to 35,200 victims, the highest number since 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.
Nine out of 10 regions in the U.S. saw rates rise in 2015. An estimated 2,525 more deaths occurred last year than in 2014. The most significant increase was in the number of pedestrians and bicyclists.
Although the NHTSA stresses that the data is still preliminary and requires more analysis, it appears non-drivers were the most affected by the greater number of traffic deaths.
"Every American should be able to drive, ride or walk to their destination safely, every time," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "We are analyzing the data to determine what factors contributed to the increase in fatalities and at the same time, we are aggressively testing new safety technologies, new ways to improve driver behavior, and new ways to analyze the data we have, as we work with the entire road safety community to take this challenge head-on."
Drunk and drugged driving are crucial reasons for the increased numbers, as well as drivers distracted by smartphones and other diversions. Failure to use important safety features such as seatbelts and child safety seats are other contributing factors.
Policy-wise, the NHTSA is working on initiatives to boost the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, including dedicated biking lanes and more crosswalks.
Interestingly, another factor adding to traffic deaths is lower gasoline prices.
"As the economy has improved and gas prices have fallen, more Americans are driving more miles," explained NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind. "But that only explains part of the increase. Ninety-four percent of crashes can be tied back to a human choice or error, so we know we need to focus our efforts on improving human behavior while promoting vehicle technology that not only protects people in crashes, but helps prevent crashes in the first place." -
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