U.S. traffic deaths down in 2023 even as more miles are driven

For the first three months of 2023, the estimated fatality rate fell to 1.24 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from the projected rate of 1.32 for the same period in 2022.

Traffic deaths during the three-month period also decreased in 32 states, though they increased in 18 states and Puerto Rico, according to NHTSA estimates.

“This is very good news, but we know that far too many people are dying on our roadways in preventable crashes,” Ann Carlson, NHTSA’s chief counsel, said in a statement. “We are taking significant action to reduce traffic fatalities, including moving forward on new vehicle standards to make cars even safer, investing millions of dollars to improve infrastructure and roadway safety, and working with our state and local partners to help drivers make safe decisions on the road.”

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety — a consortium of consumer, public health and safety groups as well as insurance companies — said NHTSA’s latest projections for traffic deaths were “still excessively high.”

“The last time the U.S. was at this fatality level in a first quarter before 2020 was 2007. Over 9,000 people not returning home because they were killed in a violent crash remains a reason for our nation to mourn, not make merry,” Cathy Chase, the group’s president, said in a statement. “More can and must be done to save lives.”

The group called on NHTSA to complete vehicle safety rule-makings mandated in the 2021 infrastructure law, including performance standards for advanced driver-assistance systems that can prevent or mitigate crashes.