Traffic Fatalities
With strong programs emphasizing safety, education and infrastructure maintenance, Virginia has consistently maintained a traffic fatality rate below the national average. In 2007, the state ranked 21st best in the nation, down from 19th the year before. However, new data from Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles indicates a significant decrease in traffic-related deaths in 2008.
Why is This Important?
Traffic fatalities are a leading cause of death, especially for young people between the ages of four and 34. The years of life lost as a result of these terrible events make their social costs particularly high, especially since many of these losses could have been prevented.
How is Virginia Doing?
Virginia's 2007 rate of
13.3 fatalities per 100,000
population was lower
than the national average
of 13.6 and gives Virginia
the 21st lowest fatality
rate in the nation.
The rate was also lower
than two of its peers,
North Carolina (18.5)
and Tennessee (19.7),
but higher than Maryland
(10.9). Massachusetts
had the lowest fatality
rate in the country at
6.5 per 100,000 people.
Within Virginia, the Hampton Roads and Northern regions had the lowest rates of traffic fatalities per 100,000 people, with rates at 9.0 and 7.5 respectively in 2007. The Eastern region had the highest rate of fatalities with 34.0 per 100,000 population. The actual number of traffic fatalities in Virginia has declined from 935 in 2001 to 821 in 2008.
Alcohol clearly influences Virginia's traffic fatality rate. Alcohol-related deaths as a percent of total crash fatalities have increased slightly since 1999. In 1999, 34.9 percent of the crash fatalities involved alcohol, while in 2007, 38.9 percent involved alcohol.The Eastern region had the highest percent of fatalities that were related to alcohol at 50 percent, while the Valley region had the lowest percent of alcohol-related crash fatalities, 35.2 percent, in 2007.
What Influences Traffic Fatalities?
Traffic fatalities are influenced by driver behavior, environmental factors, and vehicle safety. As noted above, substance abuse is a major contributing factor. A growing concern is the impact of sleep deprivation on driver alertness, especially for persons driving over long periods of time. Use of cell phones, grooming while driving, or disruptive behavior by passengers can also affect driver alertness and response time. Age is another possible factor. Young drivers may lack the skills and experience to anticipate or adjust to traffic problems appropriately. Senior drivers are less able to react quickly to sudden traffic situations, particularly at intersections.
Environmental conditions also contribute to traffic fatalities. Weather like heavy rain, sleet and snow increase the hazards of driving, as do roads in disrepair. Maintaining safe driving speeds is also critical. Even traffic congestion can affect road safety.
Finally, vehicle safety can play a large role. Seat belts, car seats for small children, and passive restraint systems such as air bags have all improved auto safety. However, drivers must still ensure that passengers use seat belts and car seats and that air bags are properly installed.
What is the State's Role?
While driver behavior has a major impact on traffic safety, the state does play a critical and wide-ranging role in preventing traffic fatalities:
Data Definitions and Sources
Traffic fatality data downloaded from U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics & Analysis, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Web-Based Encyclopedia: www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
Additional data from U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Safety Administration "Traffic Safety Facts 2004."
Notes:
- A traffic fatality is defined as a fatal injury resulting from a road vehicle accident. This is recorded as the underlying cause of death in the medical certification part of the death certificate.
- An alcohol related crash fatality is defined as a death resulting from a crash involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .01 or greater.
See the Data Sources and Updates Calendar for a detailed list of the data resources used for indicator measures on Virginia Performs.
