NHTSA: Traffic Deaths Decrease Again in Q1 2024
Less people died in traffic accidents during the first three months of 2024, compared to the same time the prior year. The quarter looks to be the eighth in a row for a decline in traffic fatalities, dating back to the second quarter 2022.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recent report that it estimated 8,650 people died in Q1, a decrease of about 3.2% from Q1 2023.
“We’re encouraged to see traffic fatalities continue to decline, but more work must be done to reduce these preventable tragedies on our roads,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in a statement. “NHTSA is working diligently to save lives and ensure our roads are safe for everyone inside and outside of vehicles.”
The projected decrease in Q1 comes as vehicle miles traveled increased 0.6% from January through March.
NHTSA estimated that fatalities, compared to Q1 2023, decreased in 30 states and Puerto Rico in the first quarter of 2024, while increases are projected in 19 states and the District of Columbia.