U.S. highway fatalities have fallen to a record low during the first six months of this year, continuing a recent trend of fewer people dying in automobile accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) reported Friday that 16,626 people died in traffic crashes between January and the end of June, a 7 percent decline from the same period a year ago. It followed a record low number of deaths in 2008, when 37,261 motorists died, the fewest since 1961. Highway deaths have fallen steadily since 2005. Safety experts say the decline in road deaths followed similar patterns seen during the early 1980s and early 1990s, when weak economic growth led many motorists to reduce travel. “The recession is probably the biggest contributor, but it's not the only contributor,” said Barbara Harsha, the director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. Harsha and others noted that seatbelt use has risen to a record high, many new vehicles offer safety-enhancing side airbags and anti-rollover technologies, and authorities have intensified enforcement of drunk-driving laws.
