Traffic deaths rise again in 2003

As the number of miles traveled has increased, so has the number of traffic fatalities. That's according to a
study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has tracked slight increases in the highway death rate since 1998. However, the agency reports the death rate on the nation's highways has stayed virtually the same during that time - 1.5 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. Agency chief Jeffrey Runge said in a release accompanying the data that SUVs were responsible in part to some of the rise, with 11 percent more fatalities recorded in sport-utes in 2003; motorcycle deaths also increased. NHTSA estimates that 43,220 people were killed in 2003 on the highways, up from 42,815 in 2002.





Source: Weekly Car Guide