REPORT SAYS HIGHWAY DEATHS ROSE IN 2003:

The nation’s report on fatalities shows there were 43,220 deaths overall on U.S. highways in 2003, up from 42,815 in 2002. At the same time, injuries from motor vehicle crashes declined slightly in 2003, to the lowest levels since such data have been kept, according to preliminary estimates from the U. S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA estimates that the fatality rate in 2003 remained unchanged from 2002—1.5 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Motorcycle fatalities rose by 348 to 3,592, an 11 percent increase. Passenger car fatalities declined by 778, but SUV fatalities increased by 456, 55 percent of which were rollover crashes. This increase was partially accounted for by increases in SUV sales. Declining fatalities in passenger cars and injuries overall can be attributed to more crashworthy vehicles in the fleet and increases in safety belt use. In 2003, 58 percent of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts. Forty percent (17,401) of all fatalities were alcohol-related, essentially unchanged from 2002. This underscores the need for states to adopt standard safety belt laws and to increase enforcement of impaired driving laws. NHTSA earlier estimated that highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.

Topics Trends