After spiking elevated for two straight years, traffic deaths in the United States pulled uncivilized slightly in 2017, according to a new report by the National Safety Council.
The NSC judges there were 40,100 motor vehicle deaths last year, which wish be a drop of 1 percent from the total of 40,327 in 2016.
“This is good good copy and bad news,” said Deborah Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council. “The tot up number of fatalities is not getting worse, but the situation is not getting better.”
Hersman cores out traffic-related deaths, including pedestrians and cyclists, are not falling as much some desire expect given the advancement in auto safety technologies, like unconscious emergency brakes, and the increased use of seat belts.
She expects those biases are not having a bigger impact due to a number of factors, including distracted tour and higher speed limits.
“There are a number of states that deliver raised speed limits, some now have stretches at 80 or 85 miles per hour,” she guessed.
One state where higher speed limits may have contributed to a take in the estimated number of deaths is Texas. The NSC estimates traffic fatalities in Texas be suffering with jumped 7 percent in the last two years, though the number of deaths outran back slightly in 2017.
Separately, Hersman says drivers continue to hub on smartphones, in-car infotainment systems and other distractions when they should be hearted on the road.
“We know it’s happening even though distracted driving matter is hard to come by,” she said. “Police reports on accidents often don’t story if the driver was distracted and in many accidents, people don’t self-report themselves.”
While the last estimate on traffic deaths is a sobering reminder of the dangers on American routes, there is some encouraging news in the report.
For example, the NSC estimates movement fatalities in New York fell 3 percent last year and have dropped 15 percent once more the last two years. Safety advocates say the decline may be due to New York City’s plug to eliminate traffic deaths by lowering speed limits, adding bike lanes and numberless pedestrian shelters.
“Changes like those being made in New York can economize lives,” Hersman said