U.S. highway deaths fell to their lowest level in nearly 50 years, the latest government figures show, as the recession and $4-per-gallon gasoline meant people drove less.
Safety experts said record-high seat belt use, tighter enforcement of drunken driving laws and the work of advocacy groups that encourage safer driving habits contributed to the reduction in deaths.
Preliminary figures released by the government April 6 show that 37,313 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year. That's 9.1% lower than the year before, when 41,059 died, and the fewest since 1961, when there were 36,285 deaths.
A different measure, also offering good news, was the fatality rate, the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. It was 1.28 in 2008, the lowest on record. A year earlier it was 1.36.
"The silver lining in a bad economy is that people drive less, and so the number of deaths go down," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Not only do they drive less, but the kinds of driving they do tend to be less risky -- there's less discretionary driving."
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Fatalities fell by more than 14% in New England and by 10% or more in many states along the Atlantic seaboard, parts of the Upper Midwest and the West Coast, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Americans should really be pleased that everyone has stepped up here in order to make driving safer and that people are paying attention to that," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
In the past, tough economic times have brought similar declines in roadway deaths. Fatalities fell more than 16% from 1973 to 1974 as the nation dealt with the oil crisis and inflation. Highway deaths dropped nearly 11% from 1981 to 1982 as President Ronald Reagan battled a recession.
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The figures are preliminary; final numbers and state-by-state totals are expected later in the year.
Several states have pushed tougher seat belt laws that allow law enforcement officers to stop motorists whose sole offense was failing to buckle up. In 27 states and the District of Columbia, there are such enforcement laws. The remaining states have laws that allow tickets for seat belt violations only if motorists are stopped for other offenses. New Hampshire has no seat belt law for adults.
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Seat belt use in 2008 climbed to 83%, a record. Fourteen states and the nation's capital had rates of 90% or better. Michigan had the highest rate of seat belt use at 97.2%, followed by Hawaii with 97% and Washington state at 96.5%. Massachusetts had the lowest rate, 66.8%, and the rate was below 70% in New Hampshire and Wyoming as well.
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But many safety groups said it was unclear if the fatality numbers will continue to drop once the economy improves. If the projections hold, 2008 would be the first year since 1992 when traffic fatalities dipped below 40,000. Even with the declines, more than 100 people die on U.S. roads every day.
"We still have too many people who are dying in car crashes," said Jacqueline Gillan, vice president for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
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