# 7 surprising facts about traffic safety Sep 20, 2025 1 min read ### 1\. An estimated 39,345 people die each year in traffic accidents in the US, approximately the same as from breast cancer and 2.4x the number of firearm deaths (excluding suicides). _Sources: Gun Violence Archive_ ### 2\. The US has more motor vehicle deaths than 28 other high income countries. _Source: National Safety Council_ ### 3\. Traffic fatalities increased during the pandemic and have slightly declined in the last ~year. Even though U.S. vehicle miles of travel fell 11 percent from 2019 to 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. traffic fatalities increased by 7% percent from 2019 to 2020. This coincided with exploding cell phone usage. ### 4\. Driver distraction drives a significant portion of traffic fatalities. Fatalities due to distracted driving is estimated to be in excess of 10,000 per year, accounting for ~29% of all fatalities. Phone use while driving – particularly calling and texting – is one of the most common distractions. When a person reads a text while driving, his or her eyes are off the road for an average of five seconds. **At 55 miles per hour, that is like driving the length of an entire football field while blindfolded.** ### 5\. People know distracted driving is dangerous: _Source: Kelcie Ralph_ ### 6\. But most people don’t think they’re going to be apprehended for distracted driving or not wearing a seatbelt as much as they do for speeding, running a red light or driving impaired. _Source: Kelcie Ralph_ ### 7\. In lieu of increasing policing and traffic stops, most people agree that camera based enforcement is a more favorable approach to tackling traffic enforcement. _Source: Data for Progress_ ### Sources: 1. [https://findingspress.org/article/143457-seeing-speed-clearly-relative-risk-and-public-support-for-automated-enforcement](https://findingspress.org/article/143457-seeing-speed-clearly-relative-risk-and-public-support-for-automated-enforcement) 2. [https://www.enddd.org/research-stats/](https://www.enddd.org/research-stats/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=137125835&gbraid=0AAAAADskZW30CH5QrDQTEtZySSv5RSRNC&gclid=CjwKCAiAzrbIBhA3EiwAUBaUda3Fy3yhTcQeHoEDV_v0O-mxhrRz8I15YQcA4BYgYfMpfphPWzX-8RoCzpEQAvD_BwE) 3. [https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9e0e6b7397734c1387172bbc0001f29b](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9e0e6b7397734c1387172bbc0001f29b) 4. [https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/distracted-driving](https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/distracted-driving) 5. [https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/international/motor-vehicle-deaths-in-the-u-s-compared-to-the-world/](https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/international/motor-vehicle-deaths-in-the-u-s-compared-to-the-world/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22659463565&gbraid=0AAAAADvjPsFDll558Mj242SJh9gmkALrV&gclid=CjwKCAiAzrbIBhA3EiwAUBaUdXkWYroYXcOEW4PrWvFSlUXo5d7A669kzx7NHFt2MgxCuJeCWUchHBoCUDMQAvD_BwE) 6. [https://www.thetrace.org/2024/12/data-gun-violence-shooting-stats-america/](https://www.thetrace.org/2024/12/data-gun-violence-shooting-stats-america/)