1993 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts

NHTSA · 1994 · ROSA P / Michigan. Office of Highway Safety Planning

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Summary

This report, produced by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, analyzes traffic crash data for the state of Michigan in 1993. The document addresses the trends in motor vehicle fatalities, injuries, and crashes, aiming to provide a comprehensive statistical overview to inform highway safety planning. The study was motivated by the need to track safety performance following a transition to an electronic crash reporting system, which improved data reliability compared to the previous year. The analysis relies on data from over 660 law enforcement agencies submitting Michigan Traffic Crash Report forms (UD-10). The dataset includes 363,636 reported crashes, with supplementary information from the Michigan Departments of Public Health, State, and Transportation. The report compares 1993 statistics against 1992 figures and historical trends from 1984 to 1992. It categorizes crashes by severity (fatal, injury, property damage), vehicle type, driver demographics, roadway conditions, and contributing factors such as alcohol involvement and occupant restraint use. In 1993, Michigan experienced a significant increase in traffic safety incidents compared to 1992. Fatalities rose 8.8% to 1,414, injuries increased 13.3% to 134,548, and total crashes grew 5.4%. The death rate increased to 1.6 per 100 million vehicle miles, up from 1.5 in 1992, though it remained below the ten-year average of 2.0. Alcohol involvement was a major factor, present in 32.9% of fatal crashes where drinking status was determined. Restraint usage was reported at 79.0% by investigating officers, though direct observation studies indicated a lower rate of 64.4%. Single-vehicle crashes, head-on collisions, and angle crashes accounted for the majority of fatalities. Male drivers were involved in a higher proportion of crashes, and fatal crashes were twice as prevalent among male drivers as female drivers. The economic cost of these crashes was estimated at over $12 billion. The findings highlight that despite improvements in data collection, traffic safety in Michigan deteriorated in 1993 after years of decline. The report identifies alcohol impairment and lack of occupant restraint use as persistent critical issues. It also notes that crashes involving drinking drivers result in significantly higher rates of severe injury and fatality. The data suggests that while the death rate remains lower than historical peaks, the recent upward trend requires continued attention from safety planners. The report serves as a factual baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of safety interventions and understanding the distribution of crash risks across different demographics, times, and roadway types.

Key finding

Michigan traffic fatalities increased by 8.8% to 1,414 in 1993, resulting in a death rate of 1.6 per 100 million vehicle miles.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities
• comparative international

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes