Federal officials have finalized traffic fatality statistics for 2012. The official data confirms that roadway deaths in Texas have increased at over three times the nationwide rate.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,398 traffic fatalities occurred in Texas in 2012, an increase of 11 percent from the previous year. Nationally, 33,561 died on 2012 roadways in total, representing an increase of 3.3 percent since 2011. Previously, automobile death rates were on their sixth year of decline in a row.
According to officials, a number of factors contributed to the increase. Officials noted that even when overall traffic fatalities were decreasing in recent years, motorcycle and pedestrian deaths were following an upward trend. That pattern continued in 2012: fatalities of motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians rose 7.1 percent, 6.5 percent and 6.4 percent respectively.
One factor that may have played a role is warm winter weather. Much of the increase can be attributed to the first quarter of 2012, the warmest first quarter in history. Although snowy, icy conditions are associated with traffic accidents, there are actually more car crashes during warmer winters when more people are on the road.
In addition to the increase in the raw number of fatalities, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) also increased. That rate climbed to 1.14 (an increase of 3.6 percent). The injury rate rose to 80 injuries per 100 million VMT (a 6.7 percent increase).
Also in 2012, alcohol-impaired-driving deaths rose by 4.6 percent, accounting for 31 percent of the total number of highway fatalities. Alcohol-impaired-driving deaths are defined as the fatalities in a crash involving a driver found to have a blood alcohol content of .08 g/dL or greater.
Young drivers, traditionally thought to pose major risks, were actually involved in fewer highway deaths last year, continuing a decline that began in 2005.
The 11 percent increase in Texan traffic deaths represents 344 more fatalities than were suffered in 2011. Texas’s increase was the largest in the nation. Texas also saw the largest number of highway deaths (3,398) among states. California faced only 2,857 highway fatalities and is home to 12 million more people than Texas is.
The 344-person Texan increase in traffic fatalities totaled more than the increases in California, New York, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina combined.
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