Early statistics on motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. reveal that an estimated 44,450 people died in traffic crashes in 2023.
Preliminary analysis from the National Safety Council (NSC) shows a 4% decline over 2022’s numbers, but a 13.6% uptick when compared to the statistics from 2019.
The statistics are based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so that deaths occurring within 100 days of the crash and on both public and private roadways – such as parking lots and driveways – are included in NSC estimates.
‘A serious public health crisis’
The 2023 numbers point to a serious public health crisis, according to the NSC.
“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,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. “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.”
Speeding, distracted and impaired driving have all contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people in preventable crashes on U.S. roads every year. To combat this, the NSC and its partners are going to meet with federal legislators to advocate for change.
The Safe System Approach to roadway safety
Embracing the Safe System Approach across both state and federal levels is “a critical step toward eliminating traffic fatalities nationwide,” according to the NSC.
The Safe System Approach addresses five elements of a safe transportation system:
- road users
- speed management
- vehicles
- roads, and
- post-crash care.
This system was adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation more than two years ago in its National Roadway Safety Strategy, which the NSC joined as an “Ally in Action.”
More information on the NSC’s 2023 crash fatality estimates can be found here.
