How the economy relates to traffic fatalities

Unemployment rates and traffic fatalities have had an inverse relationship in the past 65 years.

An unemployed person is not as willing to take any chances, Rader said. The person could carpool to the bar or not drink as much, but when life is good, people feel more confifident, he said. About 7,000 people died in alcohol-involved vehicle crashes in 2013, he said.

Fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffiffic Safety Administration is not calculated the same way but still shows an increase of more than 12 percent in Florida.

Several changes through history

Back when vehicles were a relatively new invention, roads and laws weren’t well established and cars had no safety features, the death rate was astronomically higher.

But now, with multiple airbags and other technology, a bad crash doesn’t always result in death.

“People are walking away from crashes today that would have killed them just 20 years ago,” Rader said.

In 1913, NSC recorded 4,200 traffiffic deaths. With only about 1.3 million vehicles on the road, that represented more than 33 deaths per 10,000 vehicles. A century later, that rate had dropped to only 1.4.

Through the years there have been other factors that brought the rates down including seat belts and related laws, more defifined bans on drunken driving, raising the drinking age to 21 and restrictions on licenses for minors.

The peak for fatal crashes occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. From 1966 to 1973, there was more than 50,000 traffiffic fatalities each years — peaking at 56,278 in 1972.

Texting and driving has likely caused an increase, Kolosh said, but it’s harder to quantify because drivers have to admit that they were texting.

“It’s obviously extremely unsafe behavior,” he said.

The three other biggest risk factors for crashes are driving without a seat belt, drinking and driving, and speeding, he said.

How to address the problem

Fatal crashes are clearly an increasing problem, but is there a way to combat the issue?

NSC recommends that drivers make sure all passengers wear seat belts, designate an alcohol-free driver on nights out, get enough sleep before driving, never use cellphones while driving, and learn about the vehicle’s safety systems and how to use them.

Other tips include pre-planning the route, driving on less traveled roads, avoiding rush hour whenever possible and staying calm at the wheel, said Michele Harris, a AAA spokeswoman specializing in traffiffic safety.

For law enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol participated in a “Safe 95” campaign this month to prevent fatal crashes. The Aug. 4-9 campaign brought law enforcement groups together to raise awareness and promote safe driving.

During the six days, there were no traffiffic fatalities on Interstate 95 in Florida.

The national effffffffffffort by the International Association of Chiefs of Police aims to decrease fatal crashes by 15 percent in the United States, and they are planning more “Safe 95” weekends.

Government offifficials can also help by passing laws that increase safety and rejecting ideas like increasing speed limits, Rader said.

Drivers trading in their cars for newer models also helps because safety features have continued to evolve even in recent years.

“When people trade in an older car for a newer one, they’re getting a big safety benefifit,” Rader said.