Traffic Deaths Up In Michigan
LANSING (WWJ) - For the first time in seven years, Michigan experienced an increase in traffic deaths in 2010. According to a State Police report released, Wednesday, 937 people were killed in traffic crashes last year. That's an eight-percent increase from 2009.
Additional study will be necessary to determine what factors may have played a part in the increases or decreases that we are experiencing," said Office of Highway Safety Planning Director Michael L. Prince, in a news release.
Prince said weather may have played a role in the increase.
"As an example, last summer was one of the warmest on record which might have played a significant role in increasing our exposure in some areas such as motorcycle fatalities where fatalities increased," he said.
The crash data also shows:
- Motorcycle-involved fatalities increased from 105 in 2009 to 127 in 2010, the same number of deaths reported in 2008.
- Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities increased 25 percent, from 76 in 2009 to 95 in 2010.
- Pedestrian involved fatalities increased 6 percent, up from 125 in 2009 to 133 in 2010.
- Bicycle involved fatalities were up 55 percent, from 20 in 2009 to 31 in 2010.
- Cell phone-involved crashes decreased from 294 in 2009 to 265 in 2010. (Michigan cannot track crashes involving texting specifically.)
- The number of car-deer crashes declined 9 percent, from 61,486 in 2009 to 55,867 in 2010.
More information is available at http://mi.gov/ms.
