May 6, 2020—The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released preliminary estimates for the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2019 data and it reflects a continued decline in traffic fatalities.

There was a decline in traffic deaths in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, an estimated 36,120 people died in vehicle crashes. This was down by about 440 people from 2018.

According to the report, fatalities decreased in most major traffic safety categories: 

• Drivers (down 3 percent)
• Passengers (down 4 percent)
• Motorcyclists (down 1 percent)
• Pedestrians (down 2 percent)
• Pedalcyclists (down 3 percent)

NHTSA has worked to reduce these fatalities. In February, the agency released $562 million in grants for highway safety programs to Offices of Highway Safety in all 50 states.