If you’re not one of those people who each year waits with
anticipation for the federal government to release traffic crash data, you
might not have seen the 2018 numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). And that’s what I’m here for. In case you’re in a big
hurry, but also want to know about the state of traffic crashes in America,
here’s a summary: If you’re in a car things got slightly better; if you’re
walking things got worse.
Before we get into the details, I think it’s important to remind
ourselves that collision data is more than numbers. Unlike tracking the stock
market, which at times seems (at least to me) only vaguely connected to the
real world, every data point in a NHTSA report represents a person. Unfortunately,
in the case of crash data, it’s a lot of people. In 2018 across the United
States 36,560 people were killed in traffic crashes. From a hopeful perspective
I can point out that we had a 2.4 percent reduction in fatalities compared to
the previous year. Yes, that’s good, but it’s still so many people.
At a state level we actually did much better. From 2017 to 2018 we
had a 7.7 percent decrease in traffic fatalities (493 fatalities in 2018). That’s
the best we’ve done since 2014, but still a long way from 2012, when we had 409
fatalities – our lowest in the past decade. On a positive note, we had a
decrease in impaired driving crashes and crashes involving young drivers, two
of the highest risk areas of driving.
If you’re a pedestrian or cyclist the traffic safety trends are
decidedly not optimistic. Nationally there was a 3.4 percent increase in pedestrian
deaths and a 6.3 percent increase in cyclist deaths. The trend hasn’t been great
in Washington either. In 2013 we had 3118 crashing involving pedestrians and
cyclists, resulting in 63 fatalities. Last year we had 3718 pedestrian/cyclist-involved
crashes, resulting in 120 fatalities. It’s troubling that we had such an
increase in crashes, and even more concerning that pedestrians are dying at a
higher rate. Here’s what I mean: Compared to 2013, we had a 19 percent increase
in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, but we had 90 percent increase
in fatalities. I don’t have space to get into the details of why, so I’ll save
that for another article, but I will give you a big clue: SUVs.
The numbers aren’t great, but there’s reason to believe we can do better. The main causes of fatal crashes haven’t changed. Impaired driving, speeding and distracted driving (all behaviors that drivers choose to engage in) are responsible for most traffic deaths. We’re not dealing with an unknown problem like the mystery of how to cure Alzheimer’s disease. We know what need to do, and just have to grow the cultural will to do it. Admittedly that’s not as easy as I’d like it to be, but we’ve made great strides already in areas like seatbelt use and alcohol impaired driving, so we know it’s possible. When we all place a higher value on traffic safety than on selfish driving behavior (and most of us already do) we’re going to see positive changes that save lives.
Given the number of people killed in traffic crashes, it’s almost inevitable that you know at least one of them. And for some of us, it’s a close friend or family member; a loss that you miss deeply. The impacts of traffic crashes remain long after the tow truck leaves and the investigation is completed. For the past few years in Whatcom County, and for many years around the world, this week has become a time to remember our loved ones who died in traffic crashes, and those who bear the responsibility of responding to those crashes, in a commemoration called World Day of Remembrance. Our local event will be held on November 14th at 5:00 pm at Bellingham City Hall. There will be a short ceremony where emergency responders and a mother who lost her son in a crash will share their stories. It will be followed by a candlelight memorial walk, while local law enforcement departs to conduct a special traffic patrol focusing on high-risk driving behaviors. It’s an opportunity to honor someone you’ve lost, or support those who are grieving a loss. I invite you to join us.