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Idaho continues to lead nation in two-year traffic fatalities decline,
share second place in one-year drop of 20 percent

The National Safety Council (NSC) released a report this week that showed the downward trend in traffic fatalities continued in 2011. Idaho was among the national leaders in decline of traffic deaths from 2010 to 2011, and retains the distinction of achieving the greatest two-year drop (2009 to 2011) in the country.

Preliminary figures for Idaho indicate 168 fatalities occurred in 2011, down from 209 the year before and 225 in 2009. Idaho’s one-year decline (2010 to 2011) was 20 percent; the two-year drop (2009 to 2011) was 25 percent. New Hampshire and Louisiana recorded two-year declines of 23 and 22 percent respectively.

In contrast, North Dakota and Alaska showed significant increases of 41 and 26 percent in traffic fatalities from 2010 to 2011.

Twelve states recorded net increases in fatalities during the last two years: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming. (Results were incomplete for Washington, D.C., New York and Vermont and were statistically insignificant, less than 0.5, for Ohio and Virginia).

Only Connecticut eclipsed Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota (all of which tied for second) in the one-year decline.

ITD Highway Safety Manager Brent Jennings said the figures appear to be through the end of December 2011.

Motor vehicle deaths declined nationally by 1 percent during the past year, according to the NCS report. Approximately 35,000 Americans lost their lives on the nation’s highways in 2011, down from 35,300 the previous year; dating to 2008, the drop in traffic fatalities was down 9 percent.

“The estimated annual population death rate is 11.19 deaths per 100,000 population, down 2 percent from the revised 2010,” the report indicated. “The estimated annual mileage death rate is 1.18 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, unchanged from the revised 2010 rate.”

The cost of motor vehicle injuries that required medical attention in 2011 is estimated to be $3.5 million, a 3-percent decease from the year before.

The estimated cost of motor vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage on society was placed at $254.8 billion last year, a decrease of 1 percent from 2010. That cost estimate included lost wages and productivity, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs and property damage.

Summer months, when Americans tend to travel the most, accounted for the highest number of deaths. Nationally, traffic fatalities exceeded 3,000 per month from May through October.