NHTSA: Crash Fatalities Dip in 2014, Rise First Half of 2015

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While motor vehicle fatalities declined slightly in 2014, they’ve jumped significantly during the first half of this year, according to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) figures for 2014 indicate 32,675 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2014; a 0.1% decrease from 2014, with the fatality rate falling to a record-low of 1.07 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

However, the agency’s FARS data for the first half of 2015 indicates 16,225 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes – a “significant” 8.1% increase compared to the 15,014 fatalities reported during the first half of 2014 – with the fatality rate increasing by 4.4% compare to the same period last year.

“These numbers are a call to action,” noted U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement, adding that while partial-year estimates are more volatile and subject to revision, the estimated increase represents “a troubling departure” from a general downward trend in traffic fatalities.

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