NHTSA Report on Traffic Fatalities

01/96

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 1994, 40,676 people died in automotive wrecks. 1994's fatality rate reflects a 1.3 percent rise over the rate from 1993 and amounts to just over 15.5 traffic fatalities for every 100,000 people living in the USA--111 deaths per day, or one every 13 minutes. 84 percent of those who died were occupants of vehicles involved in the crashes, while the remaining 16 percent were non-occupants such as pedestrians and cyclists.

NHTSA reports that safety belts have saved 65,290 lives between 1982 and 1994 and that child restraints saved 2,655 children under the age of five during the same period.

1994 brought 16,589 alcohol related traffic fatalities (one every 32 minutes), the lowest number in years. 1994 deaths in alcohol related crashes were down 5 percent from 1993. 1993 saw 1.5 million d.u.i. arrests and, by NHTSA estimates, 40.9 percent of 1994's fatal crashes involved alcohol. Two of five Americans will be involved in alcohol related wrecks in their lifetimes.

Men were involved in 3 times as many fatal wrecks than women, and comprised 67 percent of total fatalities, 68 percent of pedestrian fatalities, and 86 percent of all bicycle fatalities. 22 percent of all drivers involved in fatal accidents were drunk men, while only 11 percent were drunk women.

Paul Dever --- The Auto Channel

source: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/main/safety.html