There were an estimated 44,680 people killed in preventable traffic crashes in the United States last year, preliminary analysis from the National Safety Council (NSC) has revealed.
The safety organization said the figure represented a slight decrease of less than one per cent compared to 2023, with only 82 fewer deaths, ‘indicating the crisis on US roadways continues with little improvement’.
“There is still critical work needed to make our roadways safer,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy at NSC.
“Without significant changes, potential danger will continue to pose ongoing risks to the millions of Americans who rely on our roads daily. We must make new commitments to support safer conditions for all road users to ensure everyone makes it home safely.”
According to the NSC, the impact of the crisis varies significantly across the country. Six states and the District of Columbia experienced increases of 10% or more in motor vehicle fatalities from the previous year: Maine (+38%), California (+34%), Alaska (+23%), Oklahoma (+21%), Minnesota (+14%), New Jersey (+12%) and District of Columbia (+11%).
Meanwhile, 10 states experienced decreases of 10% or more: Rhode Island (-26%), Wyoming (-25%), North Dakota (-20%), Vermont (-17%), Idaho (-14%), Kansas (-14%), Kentucky (-14%), Georgia (-12%), Florida (-11%) and Tennessee (-11%).
Ahead of Distracted Driving Awareness month in April, NSC is urging all road users to remain fully focused on the task of driving.
The organization is also advocating for proven safety technologies including speed safety cameras, intelligent speed assistance, advanced impaired driving prevention technology and automatic emergency braking.
