Traffic fatality rate hits record low
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The number of people killed on the nation’s roads fell last year, resulting in a historic low traffic fatality rate. In 20...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The number of people killed on the nation’s roads fell last year, resulting in a historic low traffic fatality rate.
In 2006, 42,642 people died in motor vehicle crashes, a drop of 868 deaths compared to 2005. The fatality rate in 2006 was 1.42 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled — the lowest rate ever recorded.
“Tough safety requirements and new technologies are helping make our vehicles safer and our roads less deadly,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. “But we all must do more when so many are killed or seriously hurt on our roads every day.”
Data specific to school transportation will be released later in the year. Last year’s report showed that there were 134 fatalities in school-transportation related crashes in 2005. The total includes school bus occupants, pedestrians and occupants of other vehicles.
From 1995 to 2005, there were 1,509 fatalities in school-transportation crashes — an average of 137 per year. About 70 percent of the victims were occupants of other vehicles.
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