According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data for 2013, road deaths are at record lows.
Capping off a decade in which fatalities decreased by 25%, 2013 had the fewest road deaths per mile traveled (1.10) since the figure was first tracked in 1975.
Capping off a decade in which fatalities decreased by 25%, 2013 had the fewest road deaths per mile traveled (1.10) since the figure was first tracked in 1975.
32,719 people died in motor vehicle traffic incidents in 2013, down 3.1% from 33,782 in 2012. Estimated injuries followed the trend in fatalities, declining to 2.31 million from 2.36 million in 2012.
The news was not entirely positive. While motorcyclists and pedestrians fared better than in 2012, cyclist fatalities increased by 1.2% to their highest level since 2006. Injuries from distraction-related accidents also ticked up slightly (1%) compared to 2012.
The full report also breaks down other contributing factors, including alcohol impairment (31% of fatal accidents) and seat belt use (49% of occupant fatalities).
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