A total of 32,885 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010, the lowest number of fatalities recorded since 1949, when 30,246 crash deaths occurred, according to a review of government data by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Like this article? Sign up to receive our weekly news blasts here.The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said the total societal cost of crashes exceeds $200 billion annually. Contributing to the death toll are alcohol, speeding, lack of safety belt use, and other problematic driver behaviors. Death rates vary by vehicle type, driver age and gender, and other factors.
In 1975, the U.S. DOT started an annual census of motor vehicle deaths, recording information on crash type, vehicle type, road type, driver characteristics, and a variety of other factors. IIHS researchers analyze these data each year to quantify the public health problem of motor vehicle deaths.
Based on analysis of the U.S. DOT's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the 32,885 fatalities occurred in 30,196 crashes involving 44,713 motor vehicles. This was the fewest deaths, fatal crashes, and motor vehicles involved in fatal crashes on U.S. highways since FARS was established in 1975. For more information and charts click on IIHS.
