Tag Archives: fatal

Community Outreach, Highway Safety, Safe Driving Tips

Super Bowl Safe

This Sunday, February 5, the Giants take on the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.  The game starts at 6:30PM and will air live on NBC.  For those of you planning to have a few drinks during the game, or know someone who will, please make sure you’ve got a designated driver you can trust before the game starts.

In 2010, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 31 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

Fans Don't Let Fans Drive DrunkIf football fans plan to drink during the Super Bowl, designating a sober driver can help increase the chance of avoiding an alcohol-impaired-driving crash.

Let’s be clear – drunk or buzzed driving is not an accident, and it certainly isn’t a victimless crime.  10,228 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 in which a driver had a B.A.C. over the legal limit.

There are just too many drivers out there who believe that having just a few drinks and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is harmless. But numbers don’t lie.  Drinking and driving can result in loss of life or serious injury.  These not only affect the lives of the impaired driver but can affect other families as well.

When you choose to drink, drink responsibly, and pass your keys to a sober driver.  Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. If you know of someone who has been drinking and is planning to drive, please remember Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Safe Driving Tips

Fatal Intersection Crashes Declining

A new study issued by the National Safety Council reports that fatal crashes at intersections with traffic lights decreased by 17% and fatal crashes at intersections involving red-light running decreased by 27% from 2005 to 2009.

The study analyzed fatal crash data in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, using statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“This report shows that we are making large strides as a nation in reducing crashes at intersections,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.  “However, despite the improvement there were still 12,396 fatal crashes at intersections with traffic lights, including 4,394 fatal intersection crashes involving red-light running during that five year period. While we are making progress, the 13,266 fatalities from these crashes remind us that we have much more to do. Each of us should consider these statistics and the measures we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Safe Driving Tips

Crash Fatalities Drop In 2010

The National Safety Council announced today that approximately 34,700 motor vehicle fatalities occurred in 2010. This marks a 3 percent decline from 2009 and the fourth consecutive year fatalities have decreased. Based on motor vehicle fatality trends of past recessions, NSC believes the present decline is partly a result of the poor economy. Fourth-quarter 2010 data reflected a slight increase in fatalities, and NSC fears as the economy continues to rebound fatalities may rise.

“As encouraging as it is to see fatalities decreasing on our nation’s roads, the 2010 rate of decrease is less than a third of the previous year’s decrease,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “We must remain vigilant in addressing roadway safety issues where the greatest impact can be made, such as distracted and teen driving. As miles traveled start to rise again from recession lows, we want to ensure the continuance of this downward trend.”

NSC believes improved safety features in vehicles, and greater visibility and enforcement of traffic safety laws – including those related to child passengers, safety belt use, distracted driving, impaired driving and teen driving – also contributed to the decrease.

In addition to devastating human loss, motor vehicle crashes present a significant national cost in lost wages and productivity, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs and property damage. The estimated cost of motor vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage in 2010 was $236.6 billion, a 3 percent decrease from 2009.

NSC Motor Vehicle Fatality Reporting System
Each month, motor vehicle fatality data is supplied to the National Safety Council by traffic authorities in 50 states and the District of Columbia. This data is used to make current year estimates based on the latest final count from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NSC counts total motor vehicle-related fatalities that occur within a year of the crash, consistent with data compiled from death certificates by the NCHS, and includes those occurring on public highways and private property. This differs from the methods used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA method counts traffic fatalities that occur within 30 days of a crash and only those occurring on public highways.