Traffic fatality reductions: United States compared with 25 other countries

Abstract

Objectives: I compared US traffic fatality trends with those in 25 other countries.

Methods: I have introduced a new measure for comparing safety in different countries: traffic deaths in a specific year relative to largest annual number recorded. I used only data from the International Road Traffic Accident Database.

Results: The United States is a unique outlier. Fatalities in all 25 other countries declined further after reaching their maximum values. For example, the United States and the Netherlands both reached maximum values in 1972. From 1972 to 2011 US deaths declined by 41%, whereas those in the Netherlands declined by 81%. If US fatalities had declined by 81% there would have been 22 000 fewer US road deaths in 2011. If the United States matched percentage declines of 6 additional countries, US deaths would have declined by more than 20 000.

Conclusions: If US traffic deaths had declined by the same percentage as in any 1 of 7 other countries, more than 20 000 fewer Americans would have been killed in 2011.

FIGURE 1—

Two ways to compare traffic fatality changes in the United States (US) to those in 3 comparison countries, Great Britain (GB), Canada, and Australia, (a) relative to 1979 value and (b) relative to the maximum number reached. Note. The portion 1979–2002 (delineated by vertical line in part a) reproduces a figure published in 2004 when the most recent data were for 2002. The plot for each country in part b has a different number of points because each attained its maximum number in a different year, as follows: United States, 1972; Great Britain, 1966; Canada, 1973; and Australia, 1970. All graphs use logarithmic scales. Source. Data were obtained from the International Road Traffic and Accident Database.

FIGURE 2—

Traffic fatality declines since reaching maximum values in (a) selection of countries that had larger fatality declines than did Great Britain (GB), Canada, and Australia, and (b) United States (US) compared with all 25 other countries. Note. Fatalities in each of the other countries declined further than did those in the United States. All graphs use logarithmic scales. Source. Data were obtained from the International Road Traffic and Accident Database.

FIGURE 3—

Two traditional ways to compare traffic safety in different countries by (a) number of deaths per 1000 registered vehicles, and (b) fatalities for same travel distance. Note. Part a shows that in the early 1970s each of the 25 other countries had a higher rate than did the United States (US). The US has dropped from number 1 in safety to number 19 out of 26. The 18 countries that now have fewer deaths per 1000 vehicles than the United States are Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain (GB), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Part b shows that in the early 1970s each of the other 18 countries providing data had a higher rate than did the US. The US has dropped from number 1 to number 13 out of 19. The 12 countries with rates now lower than the US are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, GB, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. All graphs use logarithmic scales. Source. Data were obtained from the International Road Traffic and Accident Database.