Transportation

Traffic fatalities fall in first three quarters of 2013, NHTSA says

March 26, 2014
Motor vehicle fatalities NHTSA

Washington – An estimated 24,270 motor vehicle crash fatalities occurred in the first nine months of 2013 – a 3.7 percent decrease from the 2012 estimate from the same time period, according to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The report’s estimates are based on preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration and NHTSA’s own statistics.

Among other estimated findings:

  • Vehicle miles traveled increased by about 9.8 billion miles in the first three quarters of 2013 – an increase of about 0.4 percent from the previous year.
  • The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled dropped to 1.09 in the first three quarters of 2013 – a slight decrease from 1.13 in 2012.
  • Fatalities decreased by 4.5 percent in both the first and the second quarters and by 2.5 percent in the third quarter of 2013 compared to those quarters in 2012.