West Virginia Crash Fatalities Dashboard (2016)

Posted in Uncategorized on November 16, 2018

In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that there were 269 fatalities from 250 motor vehicle crashes. In contrast to last year, that is a staggering 50.6 percent increase.

We wanted to take a closer look at this data, including investigating any underlying causes and factors that contributed to such a sharp increase in traffic fatalities. With data from the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), we created a visual dashboard that presents our findings in a straightforward, easy-to-read format.

Notable Facts

• There were significant increases in traffic fatalities across all vehicle types except for bicycles, which stayed steady with 1 fatality. Light trucks had the highest traffic fatalities. Large trucks had the greatest increase in deaths, doubling its numbers from 2015.
• Males outnumbered females nearly 3 to 1 in fatalities, accounting for 74% of all motor vehicle crash deaths.
• There were 76 traffic fatalities which involved alcohol.
• 64 percent of all traffic fatalities occurred in collisions not involving any other motor vehicles.

Our Mission

Knowing the total number of traffic fatalities in a year can create awareness for driver safety. More than this, understanding the causes of these fatalities can help us pinpoint places for improvement. Our West Virginia car accident lawyers believe that presenting this data in a manner that is straightforward and easy to read can help effect change on an institutional level. Ultimately, this may be a good start to making West Virginia’s roadways safer for everyone.