Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council ("NSC") indicated that motor vehicle deaths dipped slightly – one percent – in 2017, claiming 40,100 lives versus the 2016 total of 40,327.
In a statement, the NSC said that the small decline was not necessarily an indication of progress as much as a leveling off of the steepest two-year increase in over 50 years. The 2017 assessment was six percent higher than the number of deaths in 2015. If the estimate holds, it will be the second consecutive year that motor vehicle deaths topped 40,000.
Approximately 4.57 million people were seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, and costs to society totaled $413.8 billion, the NSC said. Both figures were about one percent lower than 2016 calculations.
"The price we are paying for mobility is 40,000 lives each year," said the NSC's president and chief executive officer, Deborah A.P. Hersman. "This is a stark reminder that our complacency is killing us. The only acceptable number is zero; we need to mobilize a full court press to improve roadway safety."
The NSC has tracked fatality trends and issued estimates for nearly 100 years. All estimates are subject to slight increases and decreases as the data mature. The NSC collects fatality data every month from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and uses data from the National Center for Health Statistics, so that deaths occurring within one year of the crash and on both public and private roadways – such as parking lots and driveways – are included in the estimates.
Factors impacting motor vehicle fatality trends included an improved economy, which helped fuel a one percent increase in miles driven from 2016 to 2017, the NSC said.
The NSC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the NSC partners with government agencies, elected officials, businesses, and the public in areas where it can make the most impact.