PREVIEW

US Highway Agency Says 2023 Saw Second Consecutive Year of, Declining Traffic Deaths. 'The Independent' reports that traffic deaths in the United States fell 3.6% in 2023, recording approximately 41,000 deaths on the nation's roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2023 was the second year in a row that saw the number of fatalities decrease. On April 1, the agency also released final numbers for 2022, registering 42,514 fatalities related to crashes. According to NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman, Q4 of 2023 marked the seventh consecutive quarter of declining traffic deaths. 'The Independent' reports that the news comes despite people driving more. Estimates by the Federal Highway Administration show that people in the U.S. drove 67.5 billion more miles in 2023 than they did the year before, a 2.1% increase. According to Shulman, the numbers remain too high with many of those deaths the result of distracted driving. An estimated 3,308 people were killed in distracted driving crashes, while another 289,310 people were injured in 2022. "Distracted driving is extremely dangerous.", Sophie Shulman, NHTSA Deputy Administrator, via 'The Independent'. The agency is set to launch its 'Put the Phone Away or Pay' advertising campaign, which will include a law enforcement crackdown on the behavior from April 4 to 8. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT