Thetford Law Firm

In 2000 there were 3,936,229 miles of highway in the U.S. according to information compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2005.

• According to the DOT, the number of registered passenger cars in the U.S. more than doubled from 1960 to 2000 (133,621,420).

• The DOT has estimated that 195,382 lives were saved between 1975-2004 by the use of safety belts and
   o 16,905 by air bags
   o 23,649 by motorcycle helmets
   o 7,472 by child restraints

• According to data compiled and analyzed by the DOT, 42,643 people died in traffic crashes in the United States in 2003.

   o 25,203 on rural roads
   o 16,825 on urban roads

• Of these people killed, 19,460 were occupants of passenger cars, and 3,661 were motorcyclists, and the rest were occupants of trucks and buses, pedestrians and pedacyclists, and other categories.
   o The highest number were in zones posted at more than 55 mph
   o Single-vehicle crashes resulted in 18,175 fatalities
   o Two-vehicle crashes resulted in 15,795 fatalities
   o More-than-two-vehicle crashes resulted in 3,162 fatalities

• In 2003, 40 percent of fatalities in highway crashes were alcohol-related.