Home > The Cone Zone > Archives > 2007 > May > 31
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Traffic Deaths Down Slightly in 2006
Preliminary stats from the U.S. Department of Transportation show that the number of people killed on our nation’s highways dropped last year.
The decrease — 43,300 from 43, 443 in 2005 — could change when the final assessment is released this summer.
Needless to say, federal highway officials say there’s still plenty of cause for concern.
Alcohol-related fatalities increased 2.4 percent and the number of motorcyclists killed jumped 5.4 percent.
Other statistics showed a 3.7 percent decrease in fatalities from large truck crashes; a 2.3 percent decrease in pedestrian deaths and a 0.6 percent drop in the number of bicyclists who were killed.
Another disturbing fact is that 55 percent of the people killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.
“Bad things happen when people don’t buckle up, and no one is immune from the damage and devastation that comes from not wearing a seat belt,” DOT Secretary Mary E. Peters said.
And here’s something everyone can relate to. The economic loss of last year’s highway crashes totaled $230.6 billion. That’s $820 per person.
Something to think about next time you hammer down the accelerator on I-95.
