New Data Shows Traffic Deaths in U.S. on the Rise -- Nearly 8 Percent More People Killed in 2015 than 2014
HAMILTON, Ontario, July 14, 2016 -- According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), preliminary 2015 data shows a 7.7 percent increase in motor vehicle traffic deaths. An estimated 35,200 people died in 2015, up from the 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014. This represents the largest year-over-year percentage increase since national record keeping began, and the most highway fatalities since 2008.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-to-20-year-olds and summer is the deadliest time of year on the roads.
"We are now approximately halfway through the 100 deadliest days on the road for young drivers – the summer months," said Andrei Zakhareuski, Founder of Driving-Tests.org. "While summer is an exciting time for teens with proms, graduation, and the end of the school year, all these occasions can also be recipes for disaster if safety isn't a priority."
From 2010 to 2014, more than 5,000 people died in crashes involving teen drivers in those 100 days. During the summer driving season, an average of 10 people die every day as a result of a crash involving a teen driver.
In most of these young driver motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities are preventable if several simple rules are always followed including properly buckling up in every seating position in the car and not driving impaired or distracted. Driving-Tests.org is committed to helping reduce road crashes, injuries and fatalities among young drivers by helping new drivers become more educated before getting behind the wheel.
Driving-Tests.org offers free online practice permit tests created by experts based on each state's driving manual. The site has had more than 12 million unique users since 2010. Site users are not required to create an account, provide any personal information or login for the service. In addition to real-time educational feedback on questions answered, the site also features valuable information for teens and resources for parents to help their teen drivers become safe drivers.
To view the full NHTSA release, click here. Contact Cathy Gillen for interviews at cathy@thegillengroup.com or (443) 463-4449.
More information on Driving-Tests.org can be found online at www.Driving-Tests.org and Facebook and Twitter.
An online version of this release can be found here.
SOURCE Driving-Tests.org
RELATED LINKShttp://www.driving-tests.org
