Traffic fatalities down in first half of 2023, report finds

Traffic fatalities are down in the first six months of 2023, according to a new report.

That is despite a mileage increase of 2.3% compared to the first half of 2022, according to the National Safety Council. Compared to 2021, mileage is up 5.1%.

Traffic fatalities decreased by more than 15% in nine states:

• Maine (minus 48%, 39 fewer deaths)
• Nebraska (minus 26%, 32 fewer deaths)
• Hawaii (minus 23%, 14 fewer deaths)
• New Jersey (minus 20%, 68 fewer deaths)
• Alaska (minus 19%, 6 fewer deaths)
• California (minus 17%, 330 fewer deaths)
• Massachusetts (minus 17%, 33 fewer deaths)
• Georgia (minus 16%, 144 fewer deaths)
• New York (minus 16%, 71 fewer deaths)

However, traffic fatalities increased by 10% or more in nine states and the District of Columbia.

• Rhode Island (164%, 23 more deaths)
• Arizona (69%, 248 more deaths)
• District of Columbia (29%, 5 more deaths)
• Wyoming (20%, 10 more deaths)
• Idaho (20%, 16 more deaths)
• South Dakota (14%, 6 more deaths)
• Iowa (13%, 20 more deaths)
• North Dakota (11%, 4 more deaths)
• Kentucky (11%, 35 more deaths)
• Maryland (10%, 26 more deaths)

The National Safety Council collects preliminary traffic fatality estimates from data reporters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

State data reporters generally work in state Department of Transportation offices and are often the same individuals responsible for providing data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

According to the latest numbers from NHTSA, there were 9,330 traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2023. That is a 3.3% decrease compared to the first quarter of 2022. The decrease also marks the fourth straight quarterly decline in traffic deaths after seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases.

In the first three months of 2023, vehicle miles traveled increased by 2.6%. Historically, traffic deaths tend to increase when vehicle miles increase.

The traffic fatality rate for the first quarter of this year also fell from 1.32 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled last year to a rate of 1.24. That marks the lowest rate since the first quarter of 2020 when the rate was 1.08. LL