So we’re safer? 332 deaths

 2017 Minnesota tied a record low number of auto accident deaths.  In 1942 with war restrictions in place and 1927  with presumably a lot fewer cars on the road. If 

SC just missed 1000. They sure tried hard. 

Toyman01 said:

SC just missed 1000. They sure tried hard. 

We have so many things to make up for.  

VT  at 69 motor vehicle fatalities. Highest in five years.  @ 51 percent of all deaths not wearing seatbelt.  Half those most likely would have survived had they been wearing. 

It's tough being a DE instructor and seeing things get worse,  people not wearing their seatbelt,  and believing they're safe enough drivers even while driving distracted. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Consider 'deaths per registered vehicles', it's hugely better now. Or even 'deaths per miles traveled', would really show how big of an improvement we have in all things automotive safety.

607 automotive fatalities in NJ in 2017. How did SC pass us? We are the most densley populated state in the union and everyone drives like "rubbing is commuting"

In reply to frenchyd :

I find that interesting. Because there's some scary drivers there. Not as scary as MN, but escary. In contrast 2016 (couldn't find 2017) florida had 3037. Only trailing Texas and California. Per capita, florida dominates those two. I thought the drivers here were berkeleying scary. 

I'm pretty sure twice that number were shot and killed in Chicago last year.

Insert *my state still has the worst drivers* comment.

Mndsm said:

In reply to frenchyd :

I find that interesting. Because there's some scary drivers there. Not as scary as MN, but escary. In contrast 2016 (couldn't find 2017) florida had 3037. Only trailing Texas and California. Per capita, florida dominates those two. I thought the drivers here were berkeleying scary. 

I firmly believe that the people who designed the road systems in Texas are secretly working to reduce the population. It's the only place I've seen them exit you off of a 75mph highway into oncoming lanes. And the ramps are tiny, threshold breaking into a set of headlights at night hoping that the other car sees you are exiting the highway and actually stops at the yield sign. Insanity. 

RossD said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Consider 'deaths per registered vehicles', it's hugely better now. Or even 'deaths per miles traveled', would really show how big of an improvement we have in all things automotive safety.

I went looking just for a population chart but holy E36 M3, I saw what you were talking about here. 

There was a huge drop in 42, obviously due to the war, but what happened in 1974? There was a 17% drop in fatal accidents in that year alone. Gas crisis? 

South Dakota must be terrifying.  32 fatalities last year, that's like 10% of the entire population of that state!

Maybe it was tourists.......

Wait, do tourists count against the state where they die or where they're from?

mad_machine said:

607 automotive fatalities in NJ in 2017. How did SC pass us? 

Because a premature death in SC is more likely to be preceded by the phrase "Hey Y'all, watch this!", while a premature death in NJ is also known as a "Hit". No auto necessary! Lol!! 

RevRico said:

RossD said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Consider 'deaths per registered vehicles', it's hugely better now. Or even 'deaths per miles traveled', would really show how big of an improvement we have in all things automotive safety.

I went looking just for a population chart but holy E36 M3, I saw what you were talking about here. 

 

There was a huge drop in 42, obviously due to the war, but what happened in 1974? There was a 17% drop in fatal accidents in that year alone. Gas crisis? 

Yes. 

I spent much more time in 1974 sitting still in 2 mile long lines waiting for gas than all my driving combined for the entire year. 

Right over the county line in Montgomery county they have more pedestrian deaths every year from memory than they do homicides.  Whilst in the city...  Having said that by the highly scientific method of simply paying attention to everything around me I can safely say as a pedestrian and driver that Virginia drivers are homicidal shiny happy people and Maryland drivers are homicidal morons. 

74 was the beginning of the 55 MPH national speed limit caused by gas shortage that started in 73. So people drove less miles to conserve gas and less road trip type vacations were taken due to uncertainty of fuel supplies and everyone drove slower on highways.

RevRico said:

RossD said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Consider 'deaths per registered vehicles', it's hugely better now. Or even 'deaths per miles traveled', would really show how big of an improvement we have in all things automotive safety.

I went looking just for a population chart but holy E36 M3, I saw what you were talking about here. 

 

There was a huge drop in 42, obviously due to the war, but what happened in 1974? There was a 17% drop in fatal accidents in that year alone. Gas crisis? 

Wasn't 1974 when the maximum speed limit was reduced to 55 mph?

doh... Would you believe I was "this close"?

mad_machine said:

607 automotive fatalities in NJ in 2017. How did SC pass us? We are the most densley populated state in the union and everyone drives like "rubbing is commuting"

SC rural roads are supposedly the nations deadliest according to TRIP.

https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2017/06/28/south-carolinas-rural-roads-named-deadliest-in-the-nation

Good news! Today is the 5th and there have only been 6 deaths this year. That's down from 15 last year. 

secretariata said:

RevRico said:

RossD said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Consider 'deaths per registered vehicles', it's hugely better now. Or even 'deaths per miles traveled', would really show how big of an improvement we have in all things automotive safety.

I went looking just for a population chart but holy E36 M3, I saw what you were talking about here. 

 

There was a huge drop in 42, obviously due to the war, but what happened in 1974? There was a 17% drop in fatal accidents in that year alone. Gas crisis? 

Wasn't 1974 when the maximum speed limit was reduced to 55 mph?

doh... Would you believe I was "this close"?

 

You can see the drop in miles driven in 1972, 1974 and 2008 right in that graph. But you don't see any carnage when the 55 mph limit was lifted in the late 80's :)

With a little more digging, it seems the number one killer in road departure accidents in South Carolina is a tree. In second place we have a tie between rolling it and ditching it. In third is, utility pole. Half of all crashes were the result of road departure accidents and 80% of those fatalities hit an immovable object. At a guess these people were drunk, asleep, or on their phones. We do rate highly in the DUI catagory. Apparently around half of all SC traffic fatalities involve DUI. 

51% of the deaths were unbelted. Of the motorcycle deaths, 73% were sans helmet. 

You guys should cut down that tree.

In reply to Toyman01 :

I am always shocked to see how many people ride without helmets. 

So what if it's legal?  It's utterly stupid. 

Keith Tanner said:

You can see the drop in miles driven in 1972, 1974 and 2008 right in that graph. But you don't see any carnage when the 55 mph limit was lifted in the late 80's :)

But didn't the speed limits go up somewhat incrementally, meaning that each state had to pass laws increasing them which took time and meant they weren't put into effect at the same time? And then some states increased them more later. Also, wasn't the late 80's when the big push with MADD, seatbelts, and the start of automotive safety improvements got rolling?

In reply to SVreX :

Agreed.

I may seem callous, but people dying because of their own stupidity doesn't bother me much. I don't understand it, but I don't worry about it either.

It's when the idiots take out some innocent person that it becomes a problem.