Seat belts helped lower number of road fatalities, DOT says

Seat belts helped lower number of road fatalities, DOT says

Seat belts, safety features in newer vehicles, and measures against drunken driving are some of the factors being attributed for the drop in road fatalities in the United States.

A report from the Department of Transportation showed Friday that 32,788 people died in road mishaps in 2010, dropping 3 percent from a year earlier, and the lowest since 1949.

The states posting the biggest decline in highway deaths -- 12 percent -- were Washington state, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska. California, Arizona and Hawaii also recorded fewer deaths caused by road accidents.

Transportation officials said more people are using seat belts and this and other factors have contributed to the decline.

"Too many of our friends and neighbors are killed in preventable roadway tragedies every day," said DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

"We will continue doing everything possible to make cars safer, increase seat belt use, put a stop to drunk driving and distracted driving and encourage drivers to put safety first," LaHood added.

The reduction in road fatalities has also happened before in times of economic doldrums, such as what was recorded in the late 1980s.

But Americans are traveling more these days, making the decline in highway deaths more significant. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there was a 0.7 percent increase in the number of miles traveled by American motorists from 2009 to 2010.

Last year, there was a record-low 1.09 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, breaking a previous low in 2009 which posted 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.

Vehicle safety technologies such as side air bags and electronic stability features are becoming standard in newer models just like anti-lock braking systems and seat belts.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Friday April 01 2011, 9:31 AM EDT. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0