Vermont – Fatal Car Crash Statistics

Vermont – Fatal Car Crash Statistics

According to the Vermont State Police, as of July 8, 2017, there has been 25 fatal car crashes on Vermont roadways resulting in the loss of 27 lives. Of those killed, 18 were male, and 9 were female. The records show that 37 percent were known to be wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. Among those killed in motor vehicle accidents so far in 2017:

• 55.6 percent were drivers,
• 22.2 percent were passengers,
• 14.8 percent motorcyclists,
• 7.4 percent were pedestrians.

State Traffic Data

The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a detailed traffic report with data from every state. The report stated that Vermont had the greatest fatality increases from 2014 to 2015 at 30 percent. However, when looking over the long term, the state’s fatality rate has seen the greatest decrease since 1975. Its fatality rate has gone down by 82 percent from 4.32 to 0.78.

During 2015, 57 people lost their lives on the state’s roadways. Of those deaths, 48 occurred on rural roads and 9 on urban streets. That year, 34 of the people killed were riding or diving in passenger vehicles. Half of them were not wearing any sort of safety restraint.

Fatal Crash Type

NHTSA also keep detailed statistics on different kinds of fatal wrecks. The deadliest type of accidents in the state are the ones where vehicles run off the road. The second most common fatal crashes are single vehicle accidents. The following data comes from 2015.

1. Roadway departures resulted in 44 lives lost.
2. Single vehicle accidents accounted for 34 deaths.
3. Speeding killed 21 people.
4. There were 8 people who died in crashes involving a large truck.
5. Rollovers were involved in the death of 7 people.
6. There were 6 fatalities from intersection-related crashes.

Alcohol-impaired Driving

According to statistics collected between 2011 and 2015, 33 percent of driving deaths in Vermont involve alcohol in some way. This includes drivers who had any Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), both above and below the legal limit. Bennington County has the highest rate with 59 percent of driving fatalities being related to alcohol use. Grand Isle County saw the lowest rate with zero reported alcohol use associated with lives lost on roadways during the time the data was collected. Franklin and Orleans Counties experienced the greatest total number of impaired driving deaths.

Mortality Rates

Motor Vehicle Mortality Rate is the number of deaths due to traffic accidents involving an automobile per 100,000 population. Statistics collected between 2009 and 2015 show that Vermont had a Motor Vehicle Mortality Rate of 10 in the state overall. Grand Isle and Chittenden Counties experienced the lowest rates of car crash deaths. Essex County had the highest rate with 23 deaths per 100,000 population.