The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States Department of Transportation has just released fatal traffic crash information for 2016. NHTSA collected data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The NHTSA report disclosed that there were 37,461 deaths arising out of accidents on the nation’s highways and roadways in 2016, which was over a five percent (5%) increase from 2015. The NHTSA report noted that the number of vehicle miles traveled from 2015 to 2016 increased by over two percent (2%), which resulted in a fatality rate of 1.18 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This was over a two and one-half percent (2.5%) increase from 2015.
The NHTSA report revealed that deaths due to distracted driving and drowsy driving decreased, but fatalities involving reckless conduct such as driving at excessive speeds, drunk driving and failing to wear a seat belt had increased since 2015 and years past. The NHTSA report further revealed that over one-third of the increase in traffic deaths from 2015 to 2016 was attributable to motorcycle and pedestrian deaths. Fatalities involving motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists were at their highest numbers since 2008, 1990, and 1991, respectively.
NHTSA’s 2016 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash report can be found at the following link: https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/usdot-releases-2016-fatal-traffic-crash-data.
The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., are concerned for the safety of motor vehicle drivers and passengers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians traversing the roads and highways in Berks County, PA, and Schuylkill County, PA, and serve auto, truck and motorcycle accident victims and their families in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia.
From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire