Total motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. increased 4.4% in 2018, totaling 6.7 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual Summary of Statistical Findings released in December.
There were 65,000 crashes involving buses in 2018: 15,000 causing injuries and 50,000 causing property damage only. The bus crash total was reduced from 67,000 in 2017, but there were 234 associated fatalities in each year.
Overall motor vehicle fatalities declined 2.4% in 2018 to 36,560. The fatality rate per million vehicle miles traveled was 1.13, a reduction from 1.17 in 2017. Fatalities in crashes involving large trucks totaled 4,951, a slight increase from 4,905 the previous year.
About 2.7 million people were injured in motor vehicle accidents in 2018, 1.3% fewer than in 2017.
This release originally appeared in Bus & Motorcoach News. You can view it here.