Highway Safety
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicle occupants accounted for 78 percent of traffic deaths in 2003. Pedestrians accounted for 11 percent of deaths. Motorcycle riders accounted for 9 percent, pedalcyclists and other nonoccupants accounted for the remainder.
 
MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC DEATHS BY STATE, 2002-2003

 

 
Number
Mileage rate (1)

State
2002
2003
2002
2003
Alabama 1,004 983 1.7 1.7
Alaska 85 95 1.8 1.9
Arizona 1,104 1,120 2.1 2.2
Arkansas 641 627 2.1 2.1
California 4,104 4,227 1.3 1.3
Colorado 732 629 1.7 1.4
Connecticut 325 305 1.0 1.0
Delaware 126 145 1.4 1.6
D.C. 50 70 1.3 2.0
Florida 3,137 3,179 2.0 1.8
Georgia 1,522 1,160 1.4 1.5
Hawaii 115 139 1.3 1.6
Idaho 265 293 1.9 2.1
Illinois 1,411 1,455 1.3 1.4
Indiana 792 787 1.1 1.1
Iowa 409 445 1.3 1.4
Kansas 510 472 1.8 1.6
Kentucky 917 931 1.9 2.0
Louisiana 865 896 2.1 2.1
Maine 191 205 1.3 1.4
Maryland 650 648 1.2 1.2
Massachusetts 459 462 0.9 0.9
Michigan 1,279 1,283 1.3 1.3
Minnesota 653 628 1.2 1.1
Mississippi 885 873 2.4 2.4
Missouri 1,203 1,232 1.7 1.8
Montana 268 262 2.6 2.5
Nebraska 307 293 1.7 1.6
Nevada 380 368 2.0 2.0
New Hampshire 127 126 1.0 1.0
New Jersey 786 733 1.1 1.0
New Mexico 458 437 1.9 1.9
New York 1,523 NA 1.1 NA
North Carolina 1,564 1,528 1.7 1.6
North Dakota 97 105 1.3 1.4
Ohio 1,301 1,278 1.2 1.2
Oklahoma 725 642 1.6 1.4
Oregon 436 511 1.2 1.5
Pennsylvania 1,618 NA 1.5 NA
Rhode Island 84 104 1.0 1.3
South Carolina 1,053 968 2.2 2.0
South Dakota 175 203 2.0 2.4
Tennessee 1,159 1,198 1.7 1.7
Texas 3,722 3,826 1.7 1.7
Utah 330 309 1.4 1.2
Vermont 78 69 0.8 0.7
Virginia 913 942 1.2 1.2
Washington 660 601 1.2 1.1
West Virginia 437 377 2.2 1.9
Wisconsin 805 836 1.4 1.4
Wyoming 176 165 2.0 1.8
Countrywide 44,100 44,800 1.5 1.6

(1) Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles.

NA=Data not available.

Note: The number of deaths reported here may differ from the number reported elsewhere due to timing differences in reporting deaths associated with earlier crashes.

Source: National Safety Council.
ACCIDENTS BY AGE OF DRIVERS, 2003

 

 Age group
Number of drivers
Percent of total
Drivers in fatal accidents
Percent of total
Drivers in all accidents
Percent of total
Under 20 9,503,000 4.8% 9,200 17.0% 4,410,000 22.1%
20-24 16,496,000 8.4 9,900 18.3 3,660,000 18.3
25-34 34,021,000 17.3 7,600 14.1 3,580,000 17.9
35-44 40,876,000 20.8 9,100 16.9 3,150,000 15.8
45-54 40,740,000 20.7 8,200 15.2 2,490,000 12.5
55-64 26,168,000 13.3 4,300 8.0 1,400,000 7.0
65-74 16,165,000 8.2 2,800 5.2 730,000 3.6
Over 74 12,731,000 6.5 2,900 5.4 580,000 2.9
Total 196,700,000 100.0% 54,000 100.0% 20,000,000 100.0%

Note: Percent of total columns may not add due to rounding; driver columns do not add because drivers under the age of 16 are not included.

Source: National Safety Council.
MOTOR VEHICLE DEATHS
PER 100,000 PERSONS BY AGE, 2003



 

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 
SEX OF DRIVERS INVOLVED IN ALL CRASHES, 1994-2003

 

 
Male
Female

Year
Number
Rate (1)
Number
Rate (1)
1994 12,400,000 82 7,600,000 90
1995 10,600,000 69 7,000,000 80
1996 11,400,000 73 7,500,000 84
1997 14,300,000 90 9,600,000 103
1998 12,700,000 77 8,600,000 90
1999 10,600,000 63 7,400,000 74
2000 15,200,000 90 9,900,000 100
2001 12,700,000 74 8,600,000 82
2002 18,600,000 106 12,100,000 113
2003 11,600,000 65 8,400,000 77

(1) Number of drivers in all accidents per 10 million miles driven.

Source: National Safety Council.

  • According to the National Safety Council, there were an estimated 196.7 million licensed drivers in the United States in 2003. Males accounted for 50.1 percent, or 98.6 million, of all drivers and females
    accounted for 49.9 percent, or 98.1 million.

     

  • Males account for about 62 percent of the miles driven each year, and females for 38 percent.

     

  • Part of the difference in accident rates between males and females may be due to differences in the time, place and circumstances of driving.

 
SEX OF DRIVERS INVOLVED IN FATAL CRASHES, 1994-2003

 

 
Male
Female

Year
Number
Rate
Number
Rate (1)
1994 38,200 25 14,600 17
1995 37,500 24 13,000 15
1996 42,300 27 15,100 17
1997 43,600 27 16,100 17
1998 40,800 25 15,300 16
1999 30,400 18 11,800 12
2000 45,600 27 15,800 16
2001 40,800 24 14,900 14
2002 38,900 22 13,800 13
2003 40,000 22 14,000 13

(1) Number of drivers in all accidents per 10 million miles driven.

Source: National Safety Council.
DRIVING BEHAVIORS REPORTED FOR DRIVERS AND MOTORCYCLE OPERATORS INVOLVED IN FATAL CRASHES, 2003 (1)

 

 Behavior
Number
Percent
Failure to keep in proper lane or running off road 18,781 32.3%
Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit or racing 11,990 20.6
Failure to yield right of way 4,604 7.9
Inattentive (talking, eating, etc.) 3,730 6.4
Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless, careless or negligent manner 3,565 6.1
Failure to obey traffic signs, signals or officer 2,790 4.8
Overcorrecting/oversteering 2,575 4.4
Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, or vehicle, object,or non motorist in roadway, etc. 2,592 4.5
Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill or blacked-out 1,577 2.7
Making improper turn 1,578 2.7
Vision obscured (rain, snow, glare, lights, building, trees, etc.) 1,074 1.8
Driving wrong way on one-way trafficway or on wrong side of road 988 1.7
Other factors 10,139 17.4
None reported 19,396 33.4
Unknown 981 1.7
Total drivers 58,156 100.0%

(1) The sum of the numbers and percentages is greater than total drivers as more than one factor may be present for the same driver.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
  

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