NSC Reports More Than 44,000 Deaths from Traffic Accidents in 2023
Seven states and the District of Columbia have seen increases of at least 10 percent.
A new report by the National Safety Council (NSC) has revealed that the United States saw an estimated 44,450 deaths due to traffic accidents in 2023. Despite a 4 percent decrease from the previous year, this figure marks a 13.6 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
According to a release dated Feb. 26, the NSC and its advocacy partners will address this issue with federal legislators during Infrastructure Week in May 2024. The council plans to advocate for policies supporting a Safe System Approach. Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, this holistic framework focuses on five elements of road safety—road users, speed management, vehicles, roads and post-crash care— to reduce traffic fatalities nationwide.
“The most dangerous thing most people in our country do in a single day is use the U.S. roadway system. This public health crisis is an atrocity that must continue to be addressed,” NSC’s executive vice president of roadway practice, Mark Chung, said in a statement. “No one should die getting to or from their homes, schools and workplaces, but the current system was not designed with the safety of all road users in mind. … This is our focus when visiting with lawmakers in the spring, to continue advocating for the safety of all road users and ultimately save lives.”
NSC’s report also showed that 12 states have experienced decreases of 10 percent or more in motor vehicle fatalities since 2022, while seven states and the District of Columbia saw increases of a similar margin. The NSC has estimated traffic fatalities since 1913, using data that includes deaths occurring within 100 days of a crash on all types of roadways.
For more on the NSC’s motor vehicle injury data, visit the council’s website.
