Early Assessment of 1999 Crashes, Injuries, and Fatalities
This summary presents preliminary estimates of selected general motor vehicle traffic crash
characteristics and resulting injuries and fatalities from the National Automotive Sampling System
(NASS) General Estimates System (GES) (1) and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) (2). The
GES and FARS are sponsored and managed by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA),
an office of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The crash estimates for 1999 are based on all cases reported to the GES for the first nine months of 1999
and cases reported for October, November, and December of 1998. The national weights for the 1998
cases have been modified accordingly to insure a more realistic comparison between 1998 and 1999.
Since GES estimates are derived from a sample, they are subject to sampling errors. Sampling errors are
the differences that can arise between results derived from a sample and those computed from observing
all units in the population being studied. Care should be taken when analyzing GES estimates,
especially when making year-to-year comparisons. What appears to be meaningful change from one
year to the next may be due to the particular GES sample of crashes selected in those years and may not
be an actual increase or decrease. For example, if the estimated number of persons injured was 90,000
(using the 1998 GES Estimates and Standard Errors table) the 95 percent confidence interval for this
estimate would be approximately 90,000 + or - 1.96 * (7,600) or 75,000 to 105,000.
The fatality estimates for 1999 are based on all cases reported to the FARS as of February 2000, and on
the preliminary reporting of the total number of traffic fatalities in 1999 by each state. The estimates of
fatalities for 1999 represent inflation of the data presently available in the FARS file. The inflation
factor is computed by an algorithm that uses FARS data and state data from other sources.
Preliminary Findings
| Crashes: |
An estimated 6,289,000 police-reported crashes occurred in 1999. This total represents a
0.7 percent decrease since 1998. Based on the Federal Highway Administration's
(FHWA's) preliminary estimate of 1999 vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the total
(2,678,748 million) VMT was up by 2 percent. Also, the crash rate of 235 crashes per
100 million VMT represents a decline of 2 percent from last year (1998). |
| Injuries: |
There were an estimated 3,200,000 injured persons in 1999, a slight increase of 0.3
percent from the 3,192,000 in 1998. The estimated injury rate per 100 million VMT in
1999 was 119, compared to 122 in 1998. |
| Fatalities: |
An estimated 41,345 people lost their lives in traffic crashes during 1999, a decrease of
0.3 percent from the 41,471 fatalities that occurred in 1998.
Based on the FHWA's preliminary estimates of vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the fatality
rate per 100 million VMT was 1.5 in 1999, down from 1.6 in 1998.
In 1999, there were an estimated 15,794 fatalities associated with the presence of alcohol,
a decline of 0.9 percent from the 15,934 fatalities in 1998. The estimated rate of alcohol
involvement among fatalities was 38 percent, the lowest rate since record keeping began
in 1975.
Sixty-three percent of the occupants of passenger vehicles killed in traffic crashes in 1999
were not wearing seat belts, down from 65 percent in 1998.
Traffic deaths of children 0-4 years old dropped by 4 percent from 566 in 1998 to 543 in
1999. The estimated number of passengers between the ages 0-4 decreased by 6 percent
and nonoccupants decreased by 9 percent in 1999.
In 1999, 4,695 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States - - a decrease
of 10 percent from the 5,220 pedestrians killed in 1998.
From 1998 to 1999, the number of fatalities on roads with posted speed limits of 55
miles per hour (mph) or greater increased by an estimated 2 percent (23,061 vs. 23,559).
The number of fatalities on roads with posted speed limits less than 55 mph decreased by
an estimated 3 percent (18,410 vs. 17,786).
In 1999, an estimated 394,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than
10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States. An estimated total
of 5,203 people died (13 percent of all traffic fatalities reported in 1999) and an additional
127,000 were injured in those crashes. The total number of fatalities resulting from
crashes involving large trucks decreased by 3 percent in 1999.
An estimated 2,537 motorcycle occupants lost their lives in motorcycle crashes during
1999, an increase of 11 percent from 2,284 motorcycle occupant fatalities that occurred in
1998. |
The following exhibits represent twelve years of GES and FARS data (including the 1999 preliminary
estimates):
Exhibit 1
Motor Vehicle Traffic Data, 1988 - 1999
| Year |
Crashes |
Injuries |
Fatalities |
| 1988 |
6,887,000 |
3,416,000 |
47,087 |
| 1989 |
6,653,000 |
3,284,000 |
45,582 |
| 1990 |
6,471,000 |
3,231,000 |
44,599 |
| 1991 |
6,117,000 |
3,097,000 |
41,508 |
| 1992 |
6,000,000 |
3,070,000 |
39,250 |
| 1993 |
6,106,000 |
3,149,000 |
40,150 |
| 1994 |
6,496,000 |
3,266,000 |
40,716 |
| 1995 |
6,699,000 |
3,465,000 |
41,817 |
| 1996 |
6,770,000 |
3,483,000 |
42,065 |
| 1997 |
6,624,000 |
3,348,000 |
42,013 |
| 1998 |
6,335,000 |
3,192,000 |
41,471 |
| 1999* |
6,289,000 |
3,200,000 |
41,345 |
Exhibit 4
Crashes, Injury and Fatal Crashes, Injuries, Fatalities Rate Per Vehicle Miles Traveled, 1988-1999
| Year |
VMT
(Millions) |
Crashes/
VMT |
Injury
Crashes |
Injury Crashes/
VMT |
Injuries/
VMT |
Fatal
Crashes |
Fatal Crashes/
VMT |
Fatalities/
VMT |
| 1988 |
2,026 |
339.93 |
2,233,000 |
110.22 |
168.61 |
42,130 |
2.08 |
2.32 |
| 1989 |
2,096 |
317.41 |
2,153,000 |
102.72 |
156.68 |
40,741 |
1.94 |
2.17 |
| 1990 |
2,144 |
301.82 |
2,122,000 |
98.97 |
150.70 |
39,836 |
1.86 |
2.08 |
| 1991 |
2,172 |
281.63 |
2,008,000 |
92.45 |
142.59 |
36,937 |
1.70 |
1.91 |
| 1992 |
2,247 |
267.02 |
1,991,000 |
88.61 |
136.63 |
34,942 |
1.56 |
1.75 |
| 1993 |
2,297 |
265.82 |
2,022,000 |
88.03 |
137.09 |
35,780 |
1.56 |
1.75 |
| 1994 |
2,358 |
275.49 |
2,123,000 |
90.03 |
138.51 |
36,254 |
1.54 |
1.73 |
| 1995 |
2,423 |
276.48 |
2,217,000 |
91.50 |
143.00 |
37,241 |
1.54 |
1.73 |
| 1996 |
2,482 |
272.76 |
2,238,000 |
90.17 |
140.33 |
37,494 |
1.51 |
1.69 |
| 1997 |
2,560 |
258.75 |
2,149,000 |
83.95 |
130.78 |
37,324 |
1.46 |
1.64 |
| 1998 |
2,625 |
241.33 |
2,029,000 |
77.30 |
121.60 |
37,081 |
1.41 |
1.58 |
| 1999* |
2,679 |
234.75 |
2,026,000 |
75.63 |
119.45 |
36,886 |
1.38 |
1.54 |
Exhibit 5
Child Fatalities (Ages 4 and Under), 1988 - 1999
| Year |
4 & under
Passengers |
4 & under
Nonoccupants |
Total |
| 1988 |
695 |
307 |
1,002 |
| 1989 |
726 |
285 |
1,012 |
| 1990 |
623 |
301 |
924 |
| 1991 |
600 |
275 |
875 |
| 1992 |
581 |
252 |
834 |
| 1993 |
617 |
266 |
884 |
| 1994 |
682 |
258 |
940 |
| 1995 |
619 |
219 |
839 |
| 1996 |
655 |
236 |
892 |
| 1997 |
604 |
186 |
790 |
| 1998 |
566 |
191 |
757 |
| 1999* |
543 |
170 |
713 |
Exhibit 6
Large Truck-Related Crashes by Crash Severity, 1988 - 1999
| Year |
Total Large
Truck Crashes |
Fatal
Crashes |
Injury
Crashes |
PDO
Crashes |
| 1988 |
398,000 |
4,885 |
96,000 |
297,000 |
| 1989 |
415,000 |
4,674 |
110,000 |
300,000 |
| 1990 |
385,000 |
4,518 |
107,000 |
273,000 |
| 1991 |
330,000 |
4,097 |
78,000 |
248,000 |
| 1992 |
376,000 |
3,825 |
95,000 |
277,000 |
| 1993 |
397,000 |
4,101 |
97,000 |
296,000 |
| 1994 |
461,000 |
4,373 |
96,000 |
360,000 |
| 1995 |
377,000 |
4,194 |
84,000 |
289,000 |
| 1996 |
395,000 |
4,413 |
94,000 |
295,000 |
| 1997 |
444,000 |
4,614 |
96,000 |
337,000 |
| 1998 |
412,000 |
4,561 |
89,000 |
318,000 |
| 1999* |
394,000 |
4,463 |
90,000 |
304,000 |
Exhibit 7
Large Truck-Related Fatalities and Injuries, 1988 - 1999
| Year
| Large Truck
Fatalities |
Large Truck
Injuries |
Large Truck
Occupant Fatalities |
Large Truck
Other
Fatalities |
Large Truck
Occupant Injuries |
Large Truck
Other
Injuries |
| 1988 |
5,679 |
130,000 |
911 |
4,768 |
37,000 |
93,000 |
| 1989 |
5,490 |
156,000 |
858 |
4,632 |
43,000 |
113,000 |
| 1990 |
5,272 |
150,000 |
705 |
4,567 |
42,000 |
108,000 |
| 1991 |
4,821 |
110,000 |
661 |
4,160 |
28,000 |
82,000 |
| 1992 |
4,462 |
139,000 |
585 |
3,877 |
34,000 |
105,000 |
| 1993 |
4,856 |
133,000 |
605 |
4,251 |
32,000 |
101,000 |
| 1994 |
5,144 |
133,000 |
670 |
4,474 |
30,000 |
102,000 |
| 1995 |
4,918 |
117,000 |
648 |
4,270 |
30,000 |
86,000 |
| 1996 |
5,142 |
130,000 |
621 |
4,521 |
33,000 |
98,000 |
| 1997 |
5,398 |
133,000 |
723 |
4,675 |
31,000 |
100,000 |
| 1998 |
5,374 |
127,000 |
728 |
4,646 |
29,000 |
99,000 |
| 1999* |
5,203 |
127,000 |
742 |
4,461 |
31,000 |
96,000 |
Exhibit 8
Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate Per 100 Million VMT
(1966 - 1999)
| Year |
Fatalities |
Vehicle Miles Traveled |
Fatality Rate Per 100 Million VMT |
| 1966 |
50,894 |
925,899 |
5.5 |
| 1967 |
50,724 |
964,005 |
5.3 |
| 1968 |
52,725 |
1,015,869 |
5.2 |
| 1969 |
53,543 |
1,061,791 |
5.0 |
| 1970 |
52,627 |
1,109,724 |
4.7 |
| 1971 |
52,542 |
1,178,811 |
4.5 |
| 1972 |
54,589 |
1,259,786 |
4.3 |
| 1973 |
54,052 |
1,313,110 |
4.1 |
| 1974 |
45,196 |
1,280,544 |
3.5 |
| 1975 |
44,525 |
1,327,664 |
3.4 |
| 1976 |
45,523 |
1,402,380 |
3.3 |
| 1977 |
47,878 |
1,467,027 |
3.3 |
| 1978 |
50,331 |
1,544,704 |
3.3 |
| 1979 |
51,093 |
1,529,133 |
3.3 |
| 1980 |
51,091 |
1,527,295 |
3.4 |
| 1981 |
49,301 |
1,552,803 |
3.2 |
| 1982 |
43,945 |
1,595,010 |
2.8 |
| 1983 |
42,589 |
1,652,788 |
2.6 |
| 1984 |
44,257 |
1,720,269 |
2.6 |
| 1985 |
43,825 |
1,774,179 |
2.5 |
| 1986 |
46,087 |
1,834,872 |
2.5 |
| 1987 |
46,390 |
1,921,204 |
2.4 |
| 1988 |
47,087 |
2,025,962 |
2.3 |
| 1989 |
45,582 |
2,096,456 |
2.2 |
| 1990 |
44,599 |
2,144,362 |
2.1 |
| 1991 |
41,508 |
2,172,050 |
1.9 |
| 1992 |
39,250 |
2,247,151 |
1.8 |
| 1993 |
40,150 |
2,296,378 |
1.8 |
| 1994 |
40,716 |
2,357,588 |
1.7 |
| 1995 |
41,817 |
2,422,775 |
1.7 |
| 1996 |
42,065 |
2,485,848 |
1.7 |
| 1997 |
42,013 |
2,560,372 |
1.6 |
| 1998 |
41,471 |
2,641,891 |
1.6 |
| 1999* |
41,345 |
2,678,748 |
1.5 |
Endnote:
1. The GES obtains its data from a nationally representative probability sample selected
from 60 geographic sites across the United States. Although the GES file contains fatal, injury,
and property-damage-only (PDO) cases, for this report only statistics describing injury crashes,
PDO crashes, or nonfatal injuries have been derived from GES.
2. FARS contains data on a census of fatal traffic crashes within the 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The fatal traffic crash data are used to produce the annual report on
traffic fatality trends. Puerto Rico data are excluded from the crash statistics. To be
included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily
open to the public, and must result in the death of an occupant of a vehicle or a nonmotorist
within 30 days of the crash.
The combination of the two sources has been used for a number of years to produce fairly
accurate estimates of detailed traffic fatality statistics months before the actual reporting of all
cases is completed.