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Conditions and Performance Report Chapter 5Safety |
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SummaryThis section summarizes the trends in both highway and transit related fatality and injury information. In Exhibit 5-1 highway data are represented in "vehicle-miles-traveled" (VMT) and transit data are represented in "passenger-miles-traveled" (PMT). Exhibit 5-1. Comparison of Safety Statistics with Those in the 1997 C&P Report Highway fatalities rose slightly from 1995 to 1997, from 41,817 to 42,013. Despite this increase, both the number of fatalities and the fatality rate have sharply declined since 1966. In 1966 the fatality rate was 25.9 per 100,000 people. By 1997, that rate had declined to 15.7 per 100,000 people. This plummeting fatality rate occurred even as the number of licensed drivers grew by nearly 80 percent. Similarly, the number of injuries and injury rate have diminished, although not as dramatically as fatalities. A number of factors have contributed to these improvements in highway safety, including increased safety belt use, reduced alcohol-impaired driving, and infrastructure-related safety improvements (e.g. roadway and roadside improvements and improvements at highway-rail grade crossings) at locations with known or potential crash problems. Surveys showed that 69 percent of vehicle occupants used seat belts by 1997. An aggressive education and law enforcement campaign had reduced the percentage of fatalities attributable to alcohol to 39 percent by 1997. Among the infrastructure-related improvements which have helped contribute to improved highway safety include the installation and upgrading of traffic signs and pavement markings, traffic signals, guardrails, median barriers, impact attenuators, and roadway lighting; improvements to pavement skid resistance; and the installation of lights, gates and other warning devices at highway-rail grade crossings. While safety advocates can take comfort in an improved driving environment, there are several disturbing trends on the Nation's highways, including the increasing numbers of young and older Americans involved in fatalities. Transit related fatalities remained nearly the same with 274 in 1995 and 275 in 1997. Among the transit modes, Commuter Rail Service has one of the highest fatality rates, reflecting the higher speeds at which these vehicles operate. Discussion on the general transit-related safety trends are addressed in the Transit Safety section.
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