Fatal vehicle crashes are on the rise nationally for the first time in nearly 20 years, with deaths in motorcycle and light truck collisions spiking, according to a new federal study.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 43,200 people died on the road in 2005, up from 42,636 in 2004. The fatality rate rose to 1.46 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, an increase from a record low of 1.44 in 2004. The numbers are preliminary estimates based on data gathered from crashes. If they hold true, it would be the first increase since 1986, officials said.
Locally, officials said the number of fatal accidents in the District also rose slightly last year to 45, up from 43 in 2004, but 20 less than the 69 recorded in 2003. There were 62 fatal accidents in Fairfax County last year, up from 58 in 2004. Most officials there said the increase is attributable to population growth.
A groundbreaking federal study released last week found nearly 8 of every 10 accidents were caused by drowsiness and inattention. The yearlong study by researchers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute tracked 100 drivers in vehicles wired with cameras and sensors. The study found that sleepy drivers are as much as six times more likely to cause crashes than alert motorists.
According to a recently released study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Virginia is one of the leading states in traffic fatalities caused by teen drivers. Crashes involving 15- to 17-year-olds claimed the lives of 675 people in Virginia.
Nationally in 2005:
» Passenger car fatalities fell 1.8 percent from the previous year to 18,746.
» Motorcycle deaths rose 7.7 percent to 4,315 and have doubled since 1997.
» 55 percent of the people who died weren’t wearing safety belts, unchanged from last year.
