
Speeding contributed to more than 9,500 crash deaths.Drunk driving contributed to more than 10,000 crash deaths.Not using seat belts, car seats, and booster seats contributed to over 9,500 crash deaths.Major risk factors for crash deaths in the US. These deaths cost more than $380 million in direct medical costs. There were more than 32,000 crash deaths in the US in 2013. Motor vehicle crash deaths in the US are still too high. Drive without distractions (such as using a cell phone or texting).Choose not to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and help others do the same.Make sure children are always properly buckled in the back seat in a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt, whichever is appropriate for their age, height, and weight.Use a seat belt in every seat, on every trip, no matter how short.Lower death rates in other high-income countries and a high percentage of risk factors in the US suggest that we can make more progress in reducing crash deaths. One in 3 crash deaths in the US involved drunk driving, and almost 1 in 3 involved speeding. In the US, front seat belt use was lower than in most other comparison countries. In 2013, the US crash death rate was more than twice the average of other high-income countries. However, more than 32,000 people are killed and 2 million are injured each year from motor vehicle crashes.

Reducing motor vehicle crash deaths was one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century for the US.
