Number of U.S. Traffic Deaths, Injuries On The Rise In 2015

Nearly 19,000 fatal motor-vehicle accidents have been recorded for the first six months in 2015, which is higher than the 16,400 in the first six months of 2014, according to the National Safety Council.

Deborah A.P. Hersman of the National Safety Council said that an improved economy and lower gasoline prices have encouraged Americans to drive more. However, she also said that it is not the whole explanation for the rise in the number of traffic deaths and injuries.

That number does not include accidents in July and August, which according to NSC, are two of the highest months of traffic deaths in history, as reported by the Associated Press.

"As a safety professional, it's not just disappointing but heartbreaking to see the numbers trending in the wrong direction," Hersman said.

If the trend continues, the number of motor accident deaths could go beyond 40,000 for the first time since 2007 - when there were nearly 44,000 deaths, Hersman continued.

She also continued that the increase in the number of traffic deaths and injuries began late in 2014 and have been recorded consistently since.

In July, the Transportation Department said that Americans broke the 2007 driving record of 1.23 trillion miles, with 1.26 trillion this year.

Hersman noted that the annual mileage death rate went up from 1.2 to 1.3 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

The number of deaths has increased though the record number of fatal drunk driving accidents have gone down from about 50 to 30 percent, said Hersman. Teen driving deaths are down, and seatbelt use is up. She adds that cars have more safety technology now, although drivers sometimes either don't use it or don't know how to.

On the other hand, some states are raising speed limits, and more and more drivers are using mobile phones while driving. The NSC estimated that a quarter of all motor accidents involved mobile phone use.

"For many years people have said, 'If distraction is such a big issue, why don't we see an increase in fatal crash numbers?' Well, we're seeing increasing fatal crashes numbers, but I think it's complicated to tease out what that is due to," Hersman said.

Jonathan Adkins, executive director of Governors Highway Safety Association,  confirmed that states have taken note of these.

"The increase is definitely troubling. But after such historic declines in recent years, it's not unexpected to see an upswing," Adkin noted.

NSC said the estimated costs related to all crashes reached $152 billion, which is 24 percent higher than the crash-related costs in the same period in 2014. Costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs, and property damage.