Road Deaths Up 5.3 Percent Last Year

First year-to-year increase since 2005

Road deaths in the USA rose 5.3% last year to 34,080, the first year-over-year increase in traffic fatalities since 2005, according to preliminary estimates today from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The jump had been widely expected as more people are taking to the roadways as the economy improves. Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that vehicle miles traveled in 2012 increased by 9.1 billion miles — a 0.3% rise. The fatality rate — which is number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled — is projected to rise to 1.16 from 1.10.