Number of Crash Deaths Counted by NHTSA are Much Higher Than Reported in FARS

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

In the year 2012, NHTSA counted 33,561 crash deaths in FARS.

But that number should higher by about 1,600 more crash deaths that occurred – just not in traffic – according to NHTSA’s ironically named Not-in-Traffic Surveillance (NiTS) data system. About 260 of these 1,600 people killed each year, but not reported in FARS, are children.

See Latest NHTSA NiTS Reports attached.

NHTSA was finally forced to report such data as a result of demands spurred by tragedies, crash victims, lawyers, advocates, and an Act of Congress.

See Center for Auto Safety’s years long campaign “Missing in FARS” at http://www.autosafety.org/campaigns/24

Crash victims and safety advocates can and do make a difference when officials in all three branches of government – and people in the media – act responsibly.

See just one tragic story at http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/east/2013/12/09/241085.htm

Why does it take so many tragedies before government does the right thing? Even just counting tragedies?

Associated Documents:

Traffic Safety Facts – DOT HS 811 812

Traffic Safety Facts – DOT HS 811 813

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