Despite the encouraging national figures, Virginia is one of 23 states to experience an increase in traffic fatalities since last year. Virginia recorded 963 highway fatalities in 2006 versus 947 in 2005, an increase of 1.7% and 16 total fatalities. Two years ago, Virginia highway fatalities increase 2.4 percent from 925 in 2004 to 947 in 2005.

“Virginia’s increase in fatalities is especially disturbing when coupling the largest percentage drop in 15 years on the national level with Virginia experiencing an increase from 2004 through 2006,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “As an advocate for traffic safety, AAA Mid-Atlantic believes one traffic fatality is too many. We will remain committed to supporting legislation which focuses on traffic safety in our state. We hope to do our part by continuing to educate the public through our various safety initiatives and programs.”

Number of People Killed in Motor Vehicle Crashes in the Region

STATE   2005    2006    DIFFERENCE      % CHANGE      
Maryland        614     651     +37     +6.0% 
D.C.    48      37      -11     -23.0%
Delaware        133     148     +15     +11%  
Pennsylvania    1,616   1,525   -91     -5.6% 
Virginia        947     963     +16     +1.7% 

The 2006 Traffic Safety Preliminary Annual Assessment by NHTSA also reveals:
·       The rate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities (1.42 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled) is the lowest rate ever recorded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Continuing a seven-year decline, a little less than 2.6 million people were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2006. That is down 4.6% from the nearly 2.7 million people injured in 2005.
Motorcycle rider fatalities reached 4,810, the ninth consecutive yearly increase.
For the first time since NHTSA collected motor vehicle crash data in 1975, motorcycle rider fatalities (11 percent of total fatalities) now exceed the number of pedestrian fatalities.
Alcohol-related fatalities in 2006 remained virtually the same as in 2005 with an increase of only 0.1% (19 fatalities).
By percentage, the states with the largest yearly decline in fatalities are:
-       District of Columbia - 23%
-       New Hampshire - 23%
-       Missouri - 13%
-       Minnesota - 12%
-       Wisconsin - 11%

·       By percentage, the states with the largest yearly increase in fatalities are:

-       Vermont - 19%
-       Hawaii - 15%
-       Wyoming - 15%
-       Delaware - 11%
-       Maine - 11%

NHTSA collects crash statistics annually from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports of traffic fatality trends.

AAA Mid-Atlantic serves nearly 835,000 members in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a total of 3.8 million members in Washington, DC; Maryland; Virginia; Delaware; Pennsylvania; and New Jersey combined. It provides a wide range of automotive, personal insurance, travel, and financial services through its 50-plus retail branches, regional operations centers, and the Internet. For more information on AAA Mid-Atlantic, please visit our web site at www.aaamidatlantic.com.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment