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Traffic fatalities in the U.S. down in 2019

The holiday travel season is here in Gulfport. While some people are choosing to stay home this year, others will take at least short excursions to be with family and friends. And, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths in 2019 declined for the third consecutive year. This may be encouraging news, but it does not take away from the fact that too many people in Gulfport and across the U.S. are injured or killed in accidents caused by negligent drivers each year.

Traffic deaths are down in 2019

In 2019 overall traffic fatalities in the U.S. dropped 2% to 36,096. Passenger car fatalities fell 5%. Drunk driving fatalities dropped 5.3%. Pedestrian fatalities dropped 2.7%. Bicyclist fatalities dropped 2.9%. Finally, motorcyclist fatalities dropped 0.5%.

However, there was an increase of 9.9% in distracted driving crash fatalities in 2019 at 3,142 fatalities. Fatalities involving SUVs went up 3.4%. Fatalities involving large trucks went up 0.2%. Finally, crashes on rural roads went up 0.1%.

Negligence is still a problem on U.S. roadways

So, while fatalities may have gone down in 2019, negligent behaviors such as distracted driving and drunk driving are still causing far too many car accidents. With the holiday season here, many people in Gulfport will be travelling. If so, it is important that they and other drivers operate their vehicles safely. If a person is injured in a car crash caused by a negligent driver, they may want to explore their options for compensation including filing a lawsuit if appropriate.

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