Highway Fatality Rate Increases in 2005 With Spikes in Motorcycles and Pedestrians Death

Highway Fatality Rate Increases in 2005

With Spikes in Motorcycles and Pedestrians Death

An increase in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths contributed to an overall rise in highway fatalities in 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The total number of fatalities rose 1.4 percent, from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 in 2005, while the rate of fatalities was 1.47 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), up from 1.45 in 2004.

Despite a 13 percent increase in motorcycle deaths (from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005) and a slight increase in pedestrian fatalities (from 4,675 in 2004 to 4,881 in 2005), NHTSA noted other fatality trends were improving. The number of young drivers dying in car crashes declined in 2005 for the third straight year, while the number of children who were killed in crashes also declined. The largest drop was for children ages 8-15. NHTSA data also showed the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes declined 3.2 percent, from 2.8 million in 2004 to 2.7 million in 2005. Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities also dropped by 451, from 31,866 in 2004 to 31,415 in 2005, the lowest level since 1994.