2011 NHTSA Analysis Shows Traffic Fatalities Down Nearly Two Percent

The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a new analysis indicating that highway deaths fell to 32,367 in 2011, marking the lowest level since 1949 and a 1.9 percent decrease from the previous year.

The updated 2011 data show the downward trend in recent years represent a 26 percent decline in traffic fatalities overall since 2005.

Unfortunately, the same report cited an 8.7 percent increase in cyclist deaths and pedestrian deaths increasing by 3 percent.