Fatality map gives sobering look at national and local fatal crashes
Nov 5, 2015, 10:14 AM | Updated: Nov 6, 2015, 11:05 pm
ationally, traffic-related deaths could exceed 40,000 in a year for the first time since 2007. Seattle, however, has been on a downward trend of incidents. (AP)
(AP)
At first glance, the map published by Metrocosm looks like something for the holidays. But the data it represents is anything but joyful.
The color-coded map shows the 373,377 points for each person who died in a vehicle crash between 2004 and 2013. Needless to say, Seattle and surrounding cities have plenty of markings.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 58 percent of fatal crashes in those 10 years involved alcohol, speeding or a distracted driver across the nation. Alcohol was responsible for 31 percent of crashes and more than 116,000 fatalities; distracted driving for 18 percent of crashes; and speeding 31 percent of crashes. What some might find surprising is that the NHTSA says cellphone use only contributed to about 1 percent of fatal crashes involving distracted driving.
In the last two year’s worth of data for Washington, NHTSA reports there were 438 deaths in 2012 and 436 in 2013. Compared to some states that isn’t much. In 2013, Texas and California had by far the most fatalities, with 3,382 and 3,000 respectively.
So how does that compare to this year? So far, things aren’t looking good. The Associated Press reports that traffic deaths rose sharply in the first six months of 2015. There were nearly 19,000 deaths nationally between January and June.
The Associated Press reports that if the trend continues, traffic deaths could exceed 40,000 in a year for the first time since 2007.
In Seattle, however, there is more of a downward trend. Since serious and fatal collisions spiked in 2006 with more than 300 total, there have been less than 250 since 2008. The city saw a low of approximately 150 in 2011.
Between 2004 and 2013 there have been consistently fewer than 50 traffic related fatalities in Seattle. In 2013, there were 23 fatalities on the city’s streets (the numbers do not reflect incidents on state highways and interstates; except the Alaskan Way Viaduct.)
