Highway Deaths Hit 13-Year High in 2003

Reuters ^ | 4-28-2004 | By John Crawley

[jrushing]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. traffic deaths rose nearly 1 percent in 2003 and reached a 13-year high at 43,220, the government reported on Wednesday.

It was the fifth straight year road deaths rose, although passenger car fatalities decreased. Sport utility vehicle deaths went up roughly 10 percent over 2002, with more than half of the victims in those crashes killed in rollovers. Motorcycle deaths also jumped.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (news - web sites) said preliminary figures showed 405 more highway deaths overall in 2003 than the previous year and the most since 1990 when 44,509 people were killed.

Despite the increase in the annual death count, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled remained constant at 1.5 deaths because more people were on the road.

But Jeffrey Runge, the safety agency's administrator, expressed alarm at that figure and said it had to drop measurably soon or the country could return to 50,000 deaths a year by the end of the decade.

In 2003, more than half of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts. Forty percent of all fatalities, or 17,401 deaths, were alcohol-related, essentially unchanged from 2002.

Runge said those figures underscored the need for states to adopt standard safety-belt enforcement laws and to get tougher on drunken drivers.

"This problem will not be solved in Washington, D.C., alone," said Runge. "We need the cooperation of every American to drive responsibly, fasten his or her safety belt and care for each other's safety on the roads."

Runge, an emergency room physician, has also raised the potential dangers of light trucks sharing the road with smaller passenger cars and has addressed the propensity of SUVs to roll.

Sport utility deaths went up by 456 with more than two- thirds of victims not wearing seat belts, the safety agency said.

"A large part of the problem is keeping all four wheels on the roadway," Runge told reporters about the rollover propensity of SUVs. Some manufacturers have addressed the problem but Runge wants more safety changes. For instance, his agency is proposing a standard to improve the strength of vehicle roofs to reduce rollover deaths.

Cars have a slight edge in sales over light trucks, which include SUVs, pickups and minivans. But SUV sales rose more than 10 percent last year.

Consumer and safety groups have long targeted SUVs as unsafe, and are pressuring the government to mandate tougher design changes. SUV safety and other provisions are included in highway legislation awaiting final consideration in Congress.

"Affordable, feasible safety improvements could help prevent the rising death toll in SUVs," said Joan Claybrook, president of consumer group Public Citizen.

[jrushing]

Sport utility vehicle deaths went up roughly 10 percent over 2002. But SUV sales rose more than 10 percent last year. Despite the increase in the annual death count, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled remained constant at 1.5 deaths because more people were on the road.

Car sales went down, Suv sales went up, Suv deaths went up less % than sales, fatality rate remained constant.
Why do they seem to blame (Consumer and safety groups have long targeted SUVs as unsafe) Suv's?

[Ron in Acreage]

They claim a 13yr high in one line and then say it remained constant in the next. Deaths per drivers per miles has remained unchanged.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Why do they seem to blame (Consumer and safety groups have long targeted SUVs as unsafe) Suv's?

Really... Bush needs to apologize and take responsibility for this.

[baltodog]

Dang it!!!

You beat me to it!!!!

[Rightone]

How can this possibly be? We are locking people up like crazy for the .08 MADD drunken driving rules, etc. Surely deaths on the road should be WAY down now that we have basically outlawed any drinking prior to driving?

[mombonn]

Really... Bush needs to apologize and take responsibility for this.

Dang! Blame Bush bump.

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

Read the 4th paragraph. The whole (non)story is right there! What counts is fatalities rate per miles traveled, NOT gross fatalities. Sheeeesh! Reuters!

[jrushing]

They claim a 13yr high in one line and then say it remained constant in the next. Deaths per drivers per miles has remained unchanged.

Yes and when I searched to see if this article was posted, I found this headline:
U.S. Auto Deaths Hit 12-Year High in 2002

For a second, I thought this, Highway Deaths Hit 13-Year High in 2003, had already been posted! Must be a yearly thing.

I would make sense that every year would be a new high with the population increase & the increasing wealth of the population! The press will be happy if it hits a 14 year high in 2004.

[Waco]

Compared to rates in other countries, feel free t sit back and have a beer to celebrate.

[FReepaholic]

>>...The number of U.S. traffic deaths rose nearly 1 percent in 2003 and reached a 13-year high at 43,220...<<

We've become desensitized to traffic deaths. Imagine if 43,000 Americans were killed by terrorists last year.

Imagine our outrage if 43,000 soldiers were killed in Iraq last year.

How many tens of thousands more people were permanently disabled and had thier lives ruined forever?

Why can't we spend 87 billion on making cars and roads safer??

[jrushing]

Sorry, forgot the 2002 link:

U.S. Auto Deaths Hit 12-Year High in 2002

[jrushing]

Why can't we spend 87 billion on making cars and roads safer??

Or what about this from 1999?

Medical errors kill tens of thousands annually, panel says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More people die each year in the United States from medical errors than from highway accidents, breast cancer or AIDS, a federal advisory panel reported Monday.
The report from the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine cited studies showing between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year because of mistakes by medical professionals.

We have become desensitized to certain types of deaths, other types create a call to arms. (Mostly in the press)

[Alberta's Child]

Think of the 43,000 deaths in relative terms, and realize that you'll never be able to substantially reduce that number as long as American motorists log billions of vehicle-miles traveled every year.

For comparison purposes, U.S. highway fatality rates are dropping considerably every year -- the number keeps rising because the population and number of registered vehicles is always rising, too.

[billbears]

Runge said those figures underscored the need for states to adopt standard safety-belt enforcement laws

Perhaps Runge forgot about every North Carolinian's favorite Senator Dole (R) who gave us seat belt laws, airbags, maintaining federal speed limits of 55 mph, and yes even third brake lights as Secretary of Transportation. Hey maybe Runge has a fourth cousin twice removed in Winston Salem. We could get him to run for Senate in this state as well. Can you imagine that 'conservative' powerhouse?!?

Hey it's not too late y'all!!! Let's start the Jeffrey Runge for Senate campaign right here in NC!!

[ralph rotten]

Did I read a report from up North ---That stated that if you
owned a CELL phone ,you will have 5-6 times the number of accident then people like me that does not have BLANKED BLANKED cell phone

Now what can we do to slow this PROBLEM!!---

[billbears]

We've become desensitized to traffic deaths. Imagine if 43,000 Americans were killed by terrorists last year.

I know I haven't. I think it is a sad state of affairs that 43,000 people died in traffic accidents last year. That means I drive extra careful and try not to take unnecessary risks in traffic. However it doesn't mean I expect the national government to take control of anymore than they already are to make me feel safe

"A large part of the problem is keeping all four wheels on the roadway," Runge told reporters about the rollover propensity of SUVs. Some manufacturers have addressed the problem but Runge wants more safety changes. For instance, his agency is proposing a standard to improve the strength of vehicle roofs to reduce rollover deaths.

What kind of law are you going to pass about keeping 'all four wheels on the roadway'? No four wheeling? No off road driving? Vehicles on pavement alone? Second, his agency proposing this 'standard' is going to do exactly what was done to vehicles nationwide back in the early 1990s with airbags and third brake lights. Push up the cost for safety. Are you going to next suggest we should provide subsidies for those that want to purchase these vehicles as the price goes up? How about we just get rid of them altogether? Then everyone should feel safe....

[anncoulteriscool]

I cant say I'm surprised. My 2 cents worth has been alot of people drive SUV's in the same matter that they drive a sportscar and sorry folks many SUV's are just not designed for that (especially if you putting your make-up on while yapping on a cellphone). I agree that people have a right to buy and drive whatever vehicle they want I just wish SUV drivers would stop driving like a bunch of major league clymers (if ya know what i mean LOL!)...OK...Where was my flame protection suit?

[nkycincinnatikid]

Finessing just the correct bac content is truly difficult. When females in the rclining position vs males in a prone position, are finally taken into account ....

[TheLion]

People drive too damn fast, don't pay attention and yap on cell phones. Using a cell phone while driving is like driving drunk.

Until they are involved in an accident, they will continue to drive like idiots.....unfortunately, they will probably die and take others with them.

[azhenfud]

"Hey maybe Runge has a fourth cousin twice removed in Winston Salem."

Two North Carolina state quarters in his pocket at the same time and he's qualified....