WASHINGTON, D.C. – The number of people who died on the nation’s roads dropped again last year, reaching historically low levels, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. In 2007, the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to 41,059, the lowest number since 1994, Peter said.
In addition, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.37, the lowest fatality rate on record, she noted. Some 2.49 million people were injured in highway crashes last year, the lowest since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began collecting injury data in 1988.
“Thanks to safer vehicles, aggressive law enforcement and our efforts, countless families were spared the devastating news that a loved one was not coming home last year,” Peters says. “You can be sure that we’re not stopping here, the quest is not over until that bottom line number is zero.”
She noted, for example, that motorcycle safety continues to be a problem. Motorcycle fatalities now account for 13 percent of all fatalities and, in 2007 alone, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on the nation’s roads increased 6.6 percent over the previous year.
To address these challenges, Peters announced the launch of new advertisements that focus on motorcycle safety and drunk driving. They can be viewed at www.stopimpaireddriving.com. The department conducted its annual impaired driving enforcement crackdown, which ran through Labor Day.
NHTSA will continue its efforts to combat impaired driving, increase safety belt use and improve motorcycle safety.
“As these new statistics show, we are making progress, but far too many of our friends, neighbors and family members are still getting killed or seriously injured,” Peters says. NHTSA collects crash statistics annually from 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports on fatalities and injuries. To view the 2007 report in its entirety, visit www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811017.PDF
