Traffic Deaths Jump in Maryland, U.S. in Early 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland started 2016 with another increase in traffic deaths compared to the same period last year. A new report on national fatalities showed a similar trend. A projected 17,775 people died in U.S. car wrecks in the first six months of the year, according to federal safety data. It's a 10.4 percent increase over the first half of 2015.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) uses police crash reports, among other sources, to determine fatality figures. Final data will be available next year, but the projected increase raises alarms for safety leaders who have pledged a focus on zero traffic fatalities — a seemingly unobtainable goal as we head in the opposite direction.

The months of April-June 2016 represented the seventh consecutive quarter with an increase in national fatalities in a year-to-year comparison. Likely contributing to the spike in deaths: the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) logged a 3 percent increase in miles traveled. It's a figure that has often been paired with wreck data, with an argument that more cars on the road means an increased likelihood of an accident.

In Maryland, the most recent data on traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2016 showed a 17 percent increase over the same quarter in 2015. Nationally, 35,092 people died in wrecks in 2015, according to the NHTSA data. That marked the largest annual increase in U.S. fatalities since 1966.

As deaths continue to climb this year, national highway safety groups are joining forces to launch the "Road to Zero" Coalition, with a goal of ending traffic fatalities within the next 30 years. The coalition includes the NHTSA, FHA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Safety Council.

"Every single death on our roadways is a tragedy," said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind in a statement. "We can prevent them. Our drive toward zero deaths is more than just a worthy goal. It is the only acceptable goal."

In April, Maryland unveiled its plan for zero traffic deaths, with 30 strategic goals, including $2 billion in road improvements, increased traffic enforcement, "It Can Wait" anti-texting campaigns and more.

“This tragic increase in people killed on our roadways is unacceptable,” said Deputy Transportation Secretary Jim Ports at the time. “For all of us dedicating our lives to highway safety, this increase in fatalities is a call to action to strengthen and expand our efforts to save lives on our roads.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has committed $1 million in annual grant awards to organizations working on lifesaving programs.

Transportation officials are advancing new technologies, including self-driving cars. In the meantime, they'll focus on safe-driving education campaigns, roadway modifications that include rumble strips and tweaks in vehicle manufacturing that include automatic breaking systems.

"We know that setting the bar for safety to the highest possible standard requires commitment from everyone to think differently about safety – from drivers to industry, safety organizations and government at all levels," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Photo by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue