Warm Winter Means High Point For US Traffic Deaths

United States traffic fatalities were up 13.5 percent over the first quarter of this year, reports The Detroit News. According to the NHTSA, that's the most critical spike since 2008.

Bigger increase since 1979

NHTSA officials were surprised to see the largest boost in traffic fatalities in the first three months of 2012 since 1979, according to the Detroit news. In the first quarter of 2011, there were 0.98 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, but that number increased to 1.10 traffic deaths per 100 million miles. That is a huge increase. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has been keeping track of the mortality rates since 1975 and did not expect a rise at all.

According to NHTSA estimates, 7,630 United States drivers and passengers perished in car crashes over the first quarter, up from 6,720 the previous year. The 2012 increase really snaps a string of steady drop in U.S. road deaths that had remained intact for the past seven years.

Is there is a reason?

When there are cold winter months, fewer people like to leave home and drive on the roads. Since there was hotter weather this winter, more people were driving.

"However, the winter of 2012 was also unseasonably warmer than usual in most areas of the country," noted the NHTSA in an official statement. "Consequently, the fatality rate for the first quarter should not be used to make inferences for the fatality rate for the whole of 2012."

The NHTSA released a report in May 2012 looking at the 2011 traffic fatalities. From 2010 to 2011, there was a 1.7 percent decrease in the amount of highway traffic deaths from 32,885 to 32,310 people. The overall 1.7 percent decrease for the year marked the lowest death rate since 1949. From 2005 to 2011, there was a total decreased of 26 percent from the 2005 fatality rate of 42,708.

More miles driven, but not by much

The amount of miles driven on U.S. roads in the first three months of 2011 was 9.7 billion fewer than the first three months of this year. The recession and runaway gasoline costs impacted drive time last year, to its lowest point since 2003, noted the Washington Post. Overall in 2011, U.S. drivers drove 35.7 billion fewer miles than the previous year, a 1.2 percent drop.

Barbara Harsha is the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. She said that this year's numbers stunner her.

"While it is too early to draw conclusions about the data and the reasons for the increase, the strengthening economy and the warm winter may be factors," she said. "Any increase in traffic deaths is unacceptable and we remain absolutely committed to working with our partners at NHTSA and across the country to keep the roadways safe."