The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday, Sept. 27, reported a 9 percent increase in motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first half of 2012, the largest jump during the first six months of any previous year since data was first collected in 1975.
A statistical projection from January through June estimates 16,290 people died in vehicular crashes during the first half of the year, according to NHTSA. The previous highest increase during the same period was 6.4 percent in 1979.
“While it is too soon to speculate on the contributing factors or potential implications of any increase on our roadways, it should be noted that the historic downward trend in traffic fatalities in the past several years means any comparison will be to an unprecedented low baseline figure,” said Robert Strickland, NHTSA administrator.
NHTSA said fatalities during the first half of the year have declined by about 27 percent from the recent high in 2006 (20,500 fatalities) to the first half of 2011 (14,950 fatalities). Federal Highway Administration data showed vehicle miles traveled in the first six months of 2012 increased by 15.6 billion miles, a 1.1 percent increase from 2011.
Interesting thought . I hadn't considered the car size being a contributor to the increase. Good point.
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LikeIt will be interesting to see how much this increase ties in with the increase in the new, fuel efficient compact and sub-compact cars that are being pushed by the CAFE standards.
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LikeI agree with you 100% David. Just another ruse to appease the people and make them think it is necessary having mandatory dumping on them. At least the term Trucks or CMV wasn't mentioned by name. Whom ever controls the transportation industry controls the country . this increase in fatalities couldn't possibly be caused by the new technology could it.? Idiots depending completely on the GPS for normal day to day driving leaving common sense at home in the bottom of the underwear drawer. Cell phones that have every thing done for them but the laundry. Cars that nearly drive themselves and idiots think that they do . Technology has it benefits but for idiots to embrace it like it is the rapture is causing serious problems in today's world. Remember that some government lackeys have to come up with a ruse and fancy words to cover the truth and keep their jobs. You can tax stupid, you can jail stupid, but you can't fix stupid.
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LikeYou have to admire the way statistics are used to justify governmental actions. "Lies, damned lies and statistics", as someone once said. There is another push on to lower speed limits as if that were the singular cause of traffic accidents. The NHTSA Administrator (Bobbie Strickland) prefaces his speculation with ". . . it's too soon to speculate . . .", then he goes right on and speculates. Political appointees do not make good government; reasonable, knowledgable public servants do.
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