The Missing Ingredient in the Fight To End Car Crash Deaths is… Fewer Cars

Reducing car dependency by just 10 to 15 percent could save lives on U.S. roads.

Researchers including Nick Ferenchak, Todd Litman, and Abbas Sheykhfard analyzed state-level data and found a clear correlation between higher average driving mileage and increased fatality rates. Their study suggests that lowering overall driving could be considered an important strategy in transportation safety, a notion seldom discussed in current policy debates.

The study highlights Wyoming as having the highest fatality rate and driving mileage, while New York shows the lowest in both categories. The researchers emphasize that modest shifts in travel behavior—not drastic bans on cars—could bring American road safety in line with international peers like Utrecht. They critique the prevailing focus on targeting risky drivers rather than reducing vehicle miles traveled, noting political resistance to such measures. They suggest transportation officials might consider prioritizing safety projects that reduce driving by making alternatives more accessible and practical including autonomous vehicle availability.

Transportation officials might consider scoring safety initiatives higher if they demonstrably reduce driving.

Study: The Missing Ingredient in the Fight To End Car Crash Deaths is… Fewer Cars
By Kea Wilson, Streetsblog USA