Vehicle fatality rate drops to new low in California

As we're heading into a holiday weekend in which many of you will be driving, I thought it would be a good time to share this: The fatality rate of motorists on California roads hit an all-time low in 2007, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The death rate was 1.18 deaths per 100 million miles driven. The federal fatality database shows that the previous low in California in recent times was 1.19 deaths in 1999.

The number of road deaths in the United States fell substantially last year and California also saw a decline, from 4,240 in 2006 to 3,974 in '07, although motorcycle deaths increased. Federal and state officials credited the drop in deaths to safer cars, increased law enforcement and the fact that people are driving less overall.

Of course, such statistics have to be taken with a grain of salt. It was not a good week on local roads. The death toll in the accident on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock on Wednesday night increased to four today, when another victim died. A motorcyclist was killed in an afternoon rush-hour collision with a truck on the 405 in the Sepulveda pass on Tuesday and a 38-year-old woman died in a head-on collision between a Toyota Tercel and pickup truck in Hemet on Thursday.

Please be careful out there this weekend. The full CHP press release is after the jump.

-- Steve Hymon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08-41
August 28, 2008

California Roadways Have Never Been Safer
Death Rate Drops to Record Low

(SACRAMENTO) The number of people killed per 100 million miles driven on California roadways has dropped to the lowest level in history. The newly released Mileage Death Rate (MDR) is 1.18 deaths per 100 million miles driven. The numbers are based on 2007 data. The previous MDR was 1.27 for 2006.

“This is the direct result of a successful partnership between the state’s traffic safety professionals at all levels of government, the news media and the general public. It proves we can change behavior for the better if we all work together,” said Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BTH) Secretary Dale E. Bonner as he announced the new figures.

“It’s important to note that these aren’t just abstract numbers. They represent lives saved of real people in California,” stated California Highway Patrol Deputy Commissioner Skip Carter.

To arrive at the annual MDR figure, CHP fatality data for the year is divided by Caltrans’ estimated number of miles driven that year in California. The 2007 MDR is about one tenth of the MDR in 1933 when California’s population was nearly six million.

“While this is encouraging news, our work is not done. We will continue to focus our efforts until we have eliminated traffic crashes as a major cause of death and injury in California,” added Caltrans Director Will Kempton.

The three major causes of fatal crashes are speeding, not wearing a seat belt, and DUI. They have been the focus of aggressive enforcement and education by traffic safety organizations the past several years.

“It is no coincidence that the Mileage Death Rate dropped at the same time we had a reduction in alcohol-related crashes,” said state Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy.
The traffic safety organizations within BTH are not resting on the current success. This Labor Day Weekend, they will be aggressively looking for those who sell alcohol to underage drinkers.

“We’ll have our undercover investigators out in force this weekend and they will have zero tolerance for underage drinking,” said Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Steve Hardy.

One area where there is room for considerable improvement is motorcycle fatalities. The number of registered riders and crashes has bucked the downward trend and are climbing.

"With more riders on the road, we continue to emphasize safe driving practices for new and veteran motorcycle riders," stated Department of Motor Vehicles Deputy Director of Licensing Operations, Mimi Khan. "We are reaching out to folks and urging them to take it slow as they learn to ride."

During the upcoming year, California law enforcement will increase its educational outreach and enforcement efforts to ensure that all motorists safely share the road.