According to early estimates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released last week, the number of US traffic fatalities declined for the ninth straight quarter during the first half of 2024. “An estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.2% as compared to 19,330 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023.” Because FHWA reports show that vehicle miles traveled increased by 0.8 percent year-over-year in the first half of 2024, the fatality rate also declined. “More miles driven combined with fewer traffic deaths resulted in a fatality rate of 1.17 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from the projected rate of 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2023.” USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented, “Reversing the rise in roadway deaths has been a top priority for this Department, so we’re encouraged to see continued reductions in traffic fatalities — yet the overall proportions of this issue remain at crisis levels and there is much more work to do.”
Traffic fatalities were down in most states and most regions of the country, but the exceptions were clustered in the upper South, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. A detailed summary of the NHTSA data can be found in the agency’s September Traffic Safety Facts.