The almost 33,000 people who died in the U.S.in vehicle crashes in 2013 is around 10,000 more than all of the deaths in the 19 other countries combined.
Advertisement
When compared to other high-income countries, the US still tops the world’s list of vehicle crash fatalities, a new report finds.
The rate of crash fatalities was at about 10 deaths per 100,000 people in the United States.
While there has been significant progress in recent years, with the per capita death rate dropping by 31 percent from 2000 to 2013, other countries have done much better, the CDC found in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
From 2000 to 2013, the rate of vehicle crash deaths in the country dropped by 31 percent. But even still, the average of those other countries studied was a 56 percent drop.
Laws requiring seat-belt use both in the front and back of cars – and allowing tickets to be issued exclusively for breaking those regulations, not just as add-ons for speeding and other offenses – would also reduce the death totals, the CDC said.
A new report shows fatalities on the road are a bigger problem in the United States than in other affluent countries.
Read the Feel Good report every Tuesday and Thursday online and every month in Gulfshore Life.
The second highest crash death rate was in Belgium and the fewest crash deaths were recorded in Sweden in 2013.
“It’s unacceptable for 90 people to die on our roads each day, especially when we know what works to prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths”, said Erin Sauber-Schatz, Ph.D., M.P.H., transportation safety team lead, CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Traffic deaths haven’t been dropping as fast in the US either.
“It’s really important to compare us not only to our past but our potential”, said Debra Houry, an emergency room physician who is director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The fact that other high-income nations are “doing better”, the US can also do the same.
Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed a 7.7% increase in road deaths in 2015, jumping from 32,600 in 2014 to 35,200 a year ago.
The CDC Vital Signs report calls this “a serious public health issue”.
To further reduce crash deaths, the agency also recommended use of seat belts in front and rear seats, proper use of booster and auto seats for children through age 8, enforcement of speed limit and distracted driving laws. The CDC also suggests a variety of legal means to encourage this behavior-from new state laws mandating that all passengers wear seat belts to requiring ignition interlock technology-which won’t let drivers start the vehicle without passing a Breathalyzer test-for those who have been convicted of drinking and driving.
Failure to use seat belts and drunken driving are major factors.
Advertisement
Choose not to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and help others do the same.
