Fact #506: February 18, 2008
Declining Rate of Highway Fatalities and Injuries is Good News for Safety and Congestion Mitigation

From 1988 to 2006, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has increased by 48 percent, however, the rate of injuries and fatalities has continually decreased over this same period. This is a positive trend not just for safety advocates but also from a congestion standpoint. A considerable amount of time and fuel is wasted each year due to congestion. In the 2007 Urban Mobility Report, the Texas Transportation Institute said that "safety problems and congested locations were very similar and solutions to one problem usually improved the other condition as well." This reduced rate of accidents helps to counter the negative effect that increased VMT has on congestion.

Supporting Information

Fatality and Injury Rates, 1988-2006

Year	Vehicle Miles Traveled (Billions)	Injury Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled	Fatality Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
1988	2,026	169	2.32
1989	2,096	157	2.17
1990	2,144	151	2.08
1991	2,172	143	1.91
1992	2,247	137	1.75
1993	2,296	137	1.75
1994	2,358	139	1.73
1995	2,423	143	1.73
1996	2,486	140	1.69
1997	2,562	131	1.64
1998	2,632	121	1.58
1999	2,691	120	1.55
2000	2,747	116	1.53
2001	2,797	108	1.51
2002	2,856	102	1.51
2003	2,890	100	1.48
2004	2,965	94	1.44
2005	2,990	90	1.46
2006	2,996	86	1.42
Source: 2006 Motor Vehicle Crash Data from FARS and GES Texas Transportation Institute, The 2007 Urban Mobility Report, September 2007.

 

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