U.S. traffic deaths fell in 2019 for the third straight year even as overall road use increased, according to preliminary government data released Tuesday. NHTSA reported an estimated 36,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, down 1.2% in 2018, even as travel rose 0.9% percent to 3.23 trillion miles.
The fatality rate was 1.10 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from 1.13 in 2018. Last year was tied for the second-lowest annual fatality rate in U.S. history.
As recently as 2007, 41,000 people died on U.S. roads and the fatality rate was 1.36 per 100 million vehicle miles, and 51,000 people died in 1980 when the fatality rate was three times higher than the current rate.
NHTSA have been grappling with a recent spike in pedestrian deaths that some attribute to more distraction and use of electronic devices. In 2018, the number of pedestrians killed rose to its highest level since 1990 climbing 3.4% percent to 6,283.