U.S. Road Deaths Fell Just 1 Percent in 2018
"While any drop in the overall numbers is encouraging, the ongoing daily carnage on our nation's roads eliminates any sense of celebration. We can – and must – do more collectively to accelerate this downward momentum," Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said in a June 17 statement.
After the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its estimate that 36,750 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2018, a 1 percent decrease from 2017, the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, Jonathan Adkins, released a statement June 17 saying more must be done to reduce the death toll.
"While any drop in the overall numbers is encouraging, the ongoing daily carnage on our nation's roads eliminates any sense of celebration. We can – and must – do more collectively to accelerate this downward momentum," he said in the statement. "Especially alarming is the continued increase in the number of pedestrians and pedalcyclists killed. These numbers are projected to be up four percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 2018. GHSA noted this pedestrian fatality increase earlier this year in an Association report. We need to bolster efforts to protect these road users, who are most susceptible to serious injuries and death when struck by motor vehicles.
"Improving the built environment to prioritize safety, passing and enforcing strong laws, and continuing to educate the public about their rights and responsibilities as road users are all paramount as we move toward zero deaths on America's roads," Adkins said.
GHSA is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.