September 10, 2010—The U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Thursday that traffic accident injuries and fatalities are the lowest in six decades, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The 2009 data showed that highway deaths fell to 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008, even though vehicle travel increased by 0.2 percent.
There was also a decrease in injuries due to car accidents for the 10th year in a row, down an estimated 5.5 percent from 2008, according to NHTSA.
“At the Department of Transportation, we are laser-focused on our top priority: safety,” said LaHood. “Today’s announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been. But they must be safer. And we will not rest until they are.”
