Michigan - Fatal Car Crash Statistics
The number of fatalities in Michigan seems to remain at a steady level in Michigan, despite efforts to reduce them. Statistics were provided by the Michigan Traffic Crash Reporting Unit of the Criminal Justice Information Center in a published report of traffic data over the last decade. In 2006 the total number of fatal crashes was 1,002 with 1,084 deaths. The number went down only slightly throughout the years. In 2016 there were 980 fatal crashes with 1,064 deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, tracks and analyzes traffic data including fatalities. A report from the NHTSA tracks national fatal motor vehicle crash statistics for more than 20 years starting in 1994. The data shows that fatal car accidents in Michigan consistently declined through the years since 2005. However, in 2015 there was an uptick from the previous year. In 2014 the state saw 30,056 crashes which took an upward turn to 32,166 in 2015. Pedestrian fatalities also increased a bit in 2015 to reach a ten year high of 5,376.
More Data
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) produces an annual report with data for all 50 states and DC. The report helps compare information between states. It also gives the national average for particular reports. The population in 2015 was 9,922,576, and the vehicle miles driven were 97,843. Therefore, the number of deaths per 100,000 people was 9.7. The average for the country was 10.9. The death rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 0.98 while the national average was 1.13.
From these figures, you can see that Michigan is better than average when it comes to highway deaths. The report details the fatalities by road user. The breakdown for the state is 37% car occupants, 23% SUV and pickup truck, 1% large trucks, 14% motorcyclists, 17% pedestrians and 3% bicyclists. Just more than half the deaths occurred in single-vehicle accidents and slightly less in multi-vehicle crashes. 40% of the accidents were in urban areas while 60% in rural locations.
Statewide Initiative
Michigan is again taking part in a program called Toward Zero Deaths. Both the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan State Police (MSP) are continuing with the campaign. The program is part of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The goal is to help reduce fatalities on the roads by improving the country’s traffic safety culture. The state wants to keep traffic deaths from reaching 967 in 2018. According to the details, driver behavior is a factor in as many as 90% of crashes where someone is killed. The campaign provides information to drivers to educate them on the major issues that contribute to crashes.