PORTLAND, Maine — Even as drivers are increasingly distracted by cellphones, email and texting, the number of highway deaths dipped to the lowest level in more than five decades in Maine and to an all-time low in neighboring New Hampshire in 2011, officials said Sunday.
The downward drive continued in Maine, New Hampshire and several other states a year after highway deaths nationwide fell to levels not seen since 1949, with experts citing variety of factors including high gas prices, better safety equipment on cars and increased safety belt usage, among other things.
In Maine, the 136 fatalities recorded through midnight on New Year’s Eve represented the lowest figure since 1959, when there were also 136 highway deaths, and the second-lowest since 119 people died on roads in 1944, when gas-rationing was in effect during World War II, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. Maine’s records go back to 1935.
Ohio and Connecticut were also near record lows in 2011. All figures are considered unofficial because they could grow if people who were injured in crashes die.
Lauren Stewart, director of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, said she’s pleased by the downward trend as a professional, but she isn’t jumping with joy.
“It’s important for us to celebrate the good work we’ve done here, but we don’t want to minimize those people who died,” Stewart told The Associated Press.
In New Hampshire, the 87 fatalities represented the lowest in the state’s history, beating the previous low of 105 in 1960, said Peter Thomson, coordinator of the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency. New Hampshire’s highway deaths data date back about five decades, he said.
Declining highway deaths represent a trend that started in 2009, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2010, 32,885 people died in traffic crashes in the United States for the lowest number of fatalities since 1949, the agency said.
Typically, highway deaths drop during a tough economy as people cut discretionary spending and roll back the numbers of miles they travel.
There are other factors at play as well. In Maine, the state is using grant money to step up traffic enforcement and the state continues to hammer away at efforts to educate motorists about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, Stewart said. Another factor is improved safety of modern vehicles.
One factor that seems to go against the downward trend is the fact that more drivers than ever seem to be distracted by cellphones. Over Christmas weekend, Stewart said she saw several drivers texting and one driver even reading. It’s also common to see people eating fast food or fiddling with their music systems.
In December, the five-member National Transportation Safety Board encouraged states to ban texting, emailing or chatting on a cellphone while driving. The board made an exception for devices which aid navigation, like devices utilizing GPS. Maine has banned texting while driving, after lawmakers concluded that a broadly worded “distracted driving” bill didn’t work. New Hampshire also banned texting while driving in 2011.
NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said he’s encouraged that 35 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning texting while driving. The laws represent a changing attitude toward distracted driving, just as people have changed their attitudes about seat belts and drunken driving.
“These laws reflect changing public attitudes — and public intolerance — of driver distraction,” said Strickland. The number of deaths can be further reduced, he said, through education, good laws, aggressive enforcement “and more than anything else, personal responsibility.”
In Maine, the state boosted the speed limit to 75 mph on a 110-mile stretch of I-95 between Old Town and Houlton in September, but that hasn’t led to an increase in crashes, McCausland said.
Maine’s number of highway fatalities spiked during the last week of the year, when 11 people were killed in traffic accidents. Maine’s deadliest crash of the year came on Christmas Day, when a sport utility vehicle slid into the path of a car in light snow on Route 3 in Palermo. Two brothers in the SUV and a father and son in the car died instantly; both vehicles were en route to Christmas gatherings.
Associated Press writer Clarke Canfield contributed to this report.
It sure doesn’t seem like a lower figure as of late. My heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones in these tragic accidents this past year.
This even takes into account that people are living longer and driving much longer. I know people driving with dementia, congestive heart failure and deaf. When they inspect your car your horn must work, but its o.k. to drive deaf. Another money gimmic.
I think all these “new” laws have more to do with money then safety. Let’s face it, they don’t care if I drive my snowmobile, ATV or ride on my husbands Harley 65 miles an hour with no helmet or seatbelt, but they would ticket me going 25 miles an hour for seatbelt violation in my car.
Now they are talking about distracted driving. Ticketing eating….ECT….
But, its o.k to be severely handicapped. Have a handicapped plate. A man in church was telling me not too long ago of all his illnesses. It scares me that we share the road. He is not an elderly gentlemen. I asked him if the doctor had pulled his license, he said no. Why? On oxygen, obese, can’t walk, congestive heart failure, recently informed he is a stroke risk. Blood clots in legs. His seizures are at this time under control with medication. Hmmm……
I just think the laws are written for the states income. Not for our safety in mind.
Your anecdotes notwithstanding, I think data would show that handicapped drivers are not necessarily safer than non-handicapped. And yes, I do mind if you handle your off road vehicle or bike unsafely (does this mean you’re in favor of helmets and seatbelts? So am I). Sad that your friend can still drive.
Oh, and it’s not a matter of money. It’s a matter of safety and wisdom, both all too often lacking.
It was indeed a sad year for one family with the deaths of three people, two in one car and one in another car accident. 2011 may be a very low death rate for car accidents, but for the families that lost someone that does not matter. RIP to all the accident victims.
True, statistics never matter until the statistic hits home. Very sad for those that lost loved ones in 2011. R.I.P
I know someone that basically drives for a living that informed me that he randomly started blacking out, and doesn’t plan to tell his doctor because he doesn’t want to get his license taken away. So unfortunately he will stop driving when he’s dead or has killed someone else. It’s scary to think of all the people driving out there who have these sorts of conditions and continue to drive.
….and of course you have no responsibility here.
All this discussion and not one mention of the comparison of total miles driven in the comparison years nor historically which would probably suggest that the record is significantly better than suggested.
Fatalities per miles driven is definitely the more relevant statistic.
About 8% of the total fatalities happened in the past week.
Unbelievable. So many lately, including young brothers, a father and son… Very tragic. The roads have been treacherous a lot recently. So sad for all the families and friends of these people. RIP…
New Hampshire, the only state WITHOUT a seatbelt law for adults has the second fewest deaths per 100,000 miles traveled of any state in the USA. Maine is 32nd.
Even more interesting would be the number of non-fatal accidents. And the number of “distracted” accidents.