Traffic deaths spiked in 2015

Traffic fatalities spiked last year as motorists drove more miles, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

{mosads}An estimated 35,200 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2015 — a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year. Last year marks the deadliest year since 2008, when 37,423 people died from motor accidents.

The number of vehicle miles traveled in 2015 rose by about 107.2 billion miles, or a 3.5 percent increase, which is partly attributed to lower gas prices and an improving economy.

The new figures come as federal and state regulators scramble to prevent traffic deaths; recent efforts include a surface transportation highway bill that expanded driving safety grants and an upcoming rule that is expected to require all new cars to have vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which could help avoid accidents. 

Although traffic deaths have been trending downward over the last decade, the latest data represents the largest year-over-year percentage increase since national record-keeping began, sparking concern among safety advocates.

“Although we are still well below the more than 40,000 people killed annually just a decade ago, each death on U.S. roadways is unacceptable, and, after many years of progress, this increase is troubling,” said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “The good news is that the solutions to reducing traffic deaths aren’t a mystery. They include strong laws coupled with highly-visible law enforcement and robust public education campaigns.”