Michigan traffic deaths and severe-injury crashes drop

Traffic-related deaths and serious injuries are down in Michigan since 1997, U-M researchers say.

Fatal and serious-injury crashes declined 27 percent from 1997 to 2001, while the number of people killed or severely hurt in vehicle crashes dropped 29 percent during that time. The proportion of all crashes that result in a fatality or serious injury also decreased over this five-year period—from to 2.3 percent of all crashes.

"The overall reduction in the number and rates of fatal and serious-injury crashes is a positive indication of Michigan's traffic safety efforts," says researcher Lidia Kostyniuk of the U-M Transportation Research Institute.

A new study by Kostyniuk and colleague Linda Miller found that the rates of fatal and serious-injury crashes per population, licensed drivers, registered vehicles and vehicle miles of travel each dropped nearly 30 percent from 1997 to 2001. Further, Michigan's fatality rates are lower than the national average for each of these four measures.

Compared with other states, Michigan has the 15th lowest crash fatality rate per population and per licensed driver. Its mortality rate also is 17th lowest per vehicle miles of travel and 20th lowest per registered vehicle.

Although drivers of all age groups have lowered their numbers of fatal and serious-injury crashes since 1997, younger drivers still are much more likely to be killed or severely injured on Michigan's roads.

Kostyniuk and Miller say the rate of fatal and serious-injury crashes per 1,000 licensed drivers is 4.38 for drivers younger than 18 and 3.6 for drivers 18-24. For young male drivers, the rates are even worse—5.07 for those under 18 and 4.49 for men 18-24. In contrast, the rate for drivers older than 70 is 1.12.

While speeding, tailgating and failing to yield are the most commonly reported hazardous driver actions in fatal and severe-injury crashes, drinking and driving and not using seat belts are also problematic, especially among drivers 18-24, the researchers say.

Alcohol-related crashes remained at about 12 percent of all fatal and serious-injury crashes between 1997 and 2001, despite a 30 percent decrease in the overall number of drinking and driving crashes resulting in death or severe injury.

Another high-risk behavior common among younger drivers is the failure to wear seat belts, the researchers say. In 2001, 68 percent of drivers younger than 24 who were involved in fatal or serious-injury crashes wore a seat belt, compared with 74 percent of such drivers 25 and older.

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