New data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows a drop in traffic deaths for the third year running in the first half of 2024. According to an article by Tyson Fisher in Land Line, “Traffic fatalities dropped by 3.5% in the first three months of this year and nearly 3% in April through June. The second quarter decrease is the ninth consecutive quarterly drop that began in the second quarter of 2022.”
Seven of 10 geographic regions experienced a drop in fatalities. Traffic deaths in the region encompassing Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee dropped by 9 percent, while the region including New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania saw an increase of 4 percent.
Fisher notes the pandemic’s disruptive effect on transportation, adding that traffic fatalities were steadily dropping prior to 2020. “However, the rate jumped to 1.34 in 2020, the highest it has been since 2007 when it hit 1.36. Although last year’s rate of 1.26 is the highest since 2008, it has been going down the road toward pre-pandemic levels.”
