SPEEDRELATED FATALITIES

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SPEED-RELATED FATALITIES
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Summary

• Unlike most other traffic safety measures,
  speeding-related fatalities have been increasing
  over the past ten years. The number of
  speed-related deaths from 1997 to 2001 was 237.8,
  while the average from 2002 to 2006 was 244, a
  2.6 increase. In 2006, Washington experienced
  the second highest number of speed-related
  fatalities since 1997, with 253, second only to
  2002s number of 260. However, the speed-related
  fatality rate per 100 million vehicle-miles-travel
  ed has decreased slightly, from .47 in 1997 to
  .45 in 2006, a 4.3 decrease.
• 59.6 of all speed-related deaths occurred on
  rural roads- for vehicle-occupants alone the
  percentage was 62.3. However, a larger majority
  of motorcyclist, bicyclist, and pedestrian deaths
  occurred on urban roads, with 57.5.
• On average, from 1997 to 2006, the speed-related
  fatality rate per vehicle-miles-traveled on rural
  roads was 2-4 times higher than the respective
  urban road rate. Rural county roads experienced
  the largest percentage of speed-related deaths,
  with 30.7, followed by rural highways, with 20,
  and urban city streets, with 19.6.
• Not surprisingly, county roads have the highest
  speed-related fatality rate, with 1.04 deaths per
  100 million vehicle-miles-traveled. This is
  almost six times higher than the interstate rate
  of .18, and almost three times higher than the
  city street rate of .36.

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Summary continued

• Males represent the largest majority of
  speed-related deaths, on average, 75.1 from 1997
  to 2006. In the 21-30 year-old age group, males
  represent 83.7 of the deaths. Overall, 21-30
  year-olds comprise 28.5 of speed-related deaths,
  followed by 15-20 year olds with 24.3.
• Unlike impaired-driver-involved deaths, 15-20
  year-olds had the highest speed-related fatality
  rate from 1997 to 2006, with 11.28 deaths per
  100,000 population. 21-30 year-olds had the
  second highest rate of 8.42. Persons age 61 and
  older and 0-14 year-olds had the lowest
  speed-related fatality rates, ranging from .71 to
  2.56.
• A total of 68 of speed-related collisions were
  single-vehicle, compared to 64 of
  impaired-driver-involved collisions, and 59 of
  overall collisions.
• Native Americans also had the highest
  speed-related fatality rate, with 13.17 deaths
  per 100,000 population, followed by Hispanics
  with 6.49. The Native American rate was 3 times
  higher than the respective rate for Whites, and 5
  times higher than the respective rate for
  Asian/Pacific Islanders.

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Summary continued

• More speed-related deaths occurred during the
  nighttime hours (6 PM-559 AM). The time period
  with the largest percentage of deaths was 10 PM
  to 159 AM, with 27.3 of the total. Not
  surprisingly, the nighttime speed-related
  fatality rate per vehicle-miles-traveled was 5-8
  times higher than the daytime rate from 1997 to
  2006.
• The summer months (July-September) comprised the
  largest majority of speed-related deaths, with
  29.3. August experienced the largest percentage
  of deaths with 10.3, followed by July with
  10.1, and December with 9.
• Research has shown risky behaviors tend to be
  inter-related. Thus, it is not surprising to
  find that 58.4 of all speeding drivers (who were
  tested) involved in fatal collisions from 1997 to
  2006 had a BAC greater than zero. In addition,
  51.9 of those had a BAC greater than or equal to
  the legal limit of .08. On a separate note, only
  64.5 of all speeding drivers involved in fatal
  collisions were tested for alcohol.

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Excludes cases with unknown functional
classification.
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Source FARS
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From 1997-2006, 68 of the speed-related fatal
collisions were single-vehicle.
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Of the 1,829 speeding drivers tested, 58.4 had a
BAC greater than zero, while 33.5 had a BAC
greater than .15.
Source FARS
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Summary- County Level

• The five counties with the largest number of
  speeding-related fatalities from 1997 to 2006
  were King (20), Pierce (10.5), Snohomish
  (8.4), Yakima (5), and Spokane (4.6).
  However, these counties tend to have a large
  number of vehicle-miles-traveled and as a result
  do not have the highest fatality rates. Counties
  with the highest speed-related fatality rates per
  vehicle-miles-traveled (though they have low
  numbers of fatalities) were San Juan (2.96),
  Ferry (2.14), and Pend Oreille (1.12). In
  contrast, King county had a speed-related
  fatality rate of .30, Pierce a rate of .43, and
  Snohomish a rate of .39. The counties with the
  largest proportion of speed-related fatalities
  were San Juan (71.4), Ferry (66.7), Pend
  Oreille (58.6), Island (47), and Whitman (46).
  
• When comparing average rates from 1997-2001 to
  2002-2006 averages, several counties experienced
  dramatic increases or decreases in their
  respective speed-related fatality rates.
  Counties with the largest increases were Pacific
  (171.9), Grays Harbor (146.9), and Douglas
  (85.8). Counties with the largest decreases
  were Lincoln (82.4), Columbia (67.1), and
  Garfield (67).

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