1994 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts

NHTSA · 1995 · ROSA P / Michigan. Office of Highway Safety Planning

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This document, titled *1994 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts*, serves as a comprehensive statistical report produced by the Office of Highway Safety Planning and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. It addresses the need for accurate, timely data on traffic safety trends in Michigan to inform policy and public awareness. The report compiles data from 1994 Michigan Traffic Crash Report Forms (UD-10) submitted by law enforcement agencies, alongside records from the Departments of Transportation, State, and Public Health. Its primary objective is to provide a detailed analysis of crash frequencies, severity, and contributing factors, while comparing 1994 figures against historical trends and neighboring states. The methodology relies on aggregated administrative data rather than experimental design. The report analyzes 398,050 reported crashes, categorizing them by injury severity (fatal, incapacitating, nonincapacitating, possible), vehicle type, and driver demographics. It incorporates exposure metrics such as vehicle registrations (7.67 million), licensed drivers (7.66 million), and vehicle miles traveled (85.6 billion). The analysis includes specific breakdowns of alcohol involvement, restraint usage, pedestrian and bicyclist incidents, and crash locations, such as intersections and construction zones. Comparative data is provided for NHTSA Region 5 states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) to contextualize Michigan’s performance. Key findings indicate that 1994 saw a slight increase in fatalities to 1,419, a 0.4 percent rise from 1993, resulting in a death rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles traveled. Total crashes increased by 9.5 percent, and injuries rose by 5.7 percent to 142,200. Despite these increases, the death rate remained below the ten-year average of 1.9. Alcohol was a factor in 32.0 percent of fatal crashes, though 68 percent of fatal crashes did not involve alcohol. Restraint usage was reported at 80 percent for drivers and injured passengers, though only 36.3 percent of fatal victims were restrained. Excessive speed was cited as a hazardous action in 15.5 percent of fatal crashes. Young drivers accounted for 26.5 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes, and pedestrian fatalities increased to 182. The economic loss from crashes was estimated at $12.4 billion. The significance of this report lies in its identification of multifaceted safety challenges beyond alcohol and seatbelt use. The authors conclude that safety planners must address excessive speed, driver fatigue, and behavioral factors like "common courtesy." The data highlights that while long-term trends show declining death rates since 1985, the 1994 uptick in fatalities and injuries suggests a need for broader intervention strategies. By providing granular data on specific demographics and crash types, the report supports targeted safety initiatives and offers a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of highway safety programs in Michigan relative to national and regional standards.

Key finding

The 1994 Michigan traffic fatality count was 1,419, representing a 0.4 percent increase from 1993, with a death rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles traveled.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

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

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes