National Safety Council

The US National Safety Council announced today its preliminary estimate that approximately 35,200 motor vehicle fatalities occurred in the US in 2013, a three percent decrease from 2012. Crash injuries requiring medical attention also are estimated to have fallen by two percent since 2012 to a total of 3.8 million. Although 2013 traffic fatalities are three percent lower than 2012, they are one percent higher than 2011. The relatively high number of fatalities in 2012 appears to have been a one year bum

Preliminary data collected by the US National Safety Council indicates deaths from motor vehicle crashes during the first six months of 2013 are down 5 per cent, compared to the same six month period last year. In 2013, an estimated 16,620 traffic deaths occurred from January through June, compared to 17,430 in 2012. Definitive reasons behind the decrease are not known. "The Council will be keeping a close eye on our monthly traffic fatality estimates to determine if this decrease is just a blip on the rad

A broad range of safety, auto, insurance and alcohol industry groups and companies has called on the US Congress to pass legislation to provide funding for an advanced drunk driving detection research programme. They claim it could lead to more than 8,000 fewer highway fatalities each year and a nationwide economic cost saving of approximately US$130 billion annually. In a letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee the groups called for inclusion of the ROADS SAFE (Research of Alcohol Detect