A preliminary analysis by the National Safety Council indicates that approximately 20,900 people died in preventable road accidents. United States by the end of the first half of 2024. Compared to the same period last year, the estimates remain almost unchanged, with the number of kilometres travelled increasing by less than one percent.

“While it is encouraging that the number of road fatalities did not increase in the first half of 2024, the fact that it remained unchanged underlines the urgent need for further action,” he said. Mark ChungExecutive Vice President for Safety Leadership and Advocacy at NSC. “Doubling down on our collective efforts to implement the Safe System Approach and immediately deploy life-saving technologies can make a huge difference. Lives depend on creating a safe transportation system for all, and there is much more to be done to ensure that every journey ends safely.”

The Safe System Approach, which takes a holistic approach to road safety to eliminate motor vehicle fatalities, enjoys broad support, according to an NSC survey released in May. The survey also found that adults in the U.S. are concerned about their own safety and the safety of their family and friends on the roads. As the country looks ahead to the rest of the year, a leading U.S. nonprofit safety advocate is pleading with employers, policymakers, community leaders and individuals to come together to prioritize the five components of the Safe System approach: safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer people and better post-crash care. The Safe System Approach will save lives and shift United States getting closer to zero road fatalities.

NSC commends the recently announced Connected Living: A Roadmap to Accelerate V2X Deployment The U.S. Department of Transportation’s roadmap, which provides a framework for inviting federal and state partners, private industry, and safety advocates to collectively harness the power of wireless technology to save lives on U.S. roadways. The Council also expects the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to complete its review of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Position to implement Advanced Impaired Driving Prevention Technology in new vehicles. Technologies like these should become the new standard and be implemented nationwide without undue delay to save lives.

The NSC estimates are subject to slight increases and decreases as the data matures. The NSC collects mortality data each month from all 50 states and District of Columbia and uses data from the National Center for Health Statistics so that the estimates include deaths that occur within a year of a crash on public and private roads, such as parking lots and driveways.