1997 Michigan traffic crash facts

NHTSA · 1998 · ROSA P / Michigan. Office of Highway Safety Planning

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Summary

The 1997 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts report, produced by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute for the Office of Highway Safety Planning, provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of motor vehicle crashes in Michigan for the year 1997. The document addresses the state’s traffic safety performance by examining trends in fatalities, injuries, crash frequencies, and contributing factors such as alcohol consumption and driver demographics. The motivation for the report is to provide accurate data to support traffic safety programs and foster safer travel conditions. The study utilizes data from 1997 Michigan Traffic Crash Report Forms (UD-10) submitted by local police departments, sheriff jurisdictions, and the Department of State Police. Supplementary information was obtained from the Departments of Transportation, State, and Community Health. The analysis covers statewide statistics as well as specific breakdowns by county and community. Key metrics include vehicle registrations, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and crash severity classifications ranging from property damage only to fatal outcomes. In 1997, Michigan recorded 1,446 traffic fatalities, a 3.9 percent decrease from the 1,505 deaths reported in 1996. The death rate fell to 1.6 per 100 million miles of travel, a 5.9 percent reduction from the previous year. Total crashes decreased by 2.2 percent to 425,793, while injuries dropped by 3.5 percent to 137,548. Despite these declines, exposure factors increased, with vehicle registrations rising 0.1 percent to 8.12 million and VMT increasing 1.7 percent to 89.2 billion. Alcohol remained a significant factor; 37.5 percent of fatal crashes involved drinking, and 58.4 percent of alcohol-related fatal crashes involved only one vehicle. Excessive speed was cited as a hazardous action in 14.3 percent of fatal crashes. Restraint usage was reported at 78.5 percent for drivers and injured passengers, though only 43.9 percent of fatal victims were known to be using restraints. The economic loss from crashes totaled approximately $9.7 billion. The findings indicate a positive trend in traffic safety, with fatalities and injuries declining despite increased vehicle usage. However, the persistent involvement of alcohol in serious crashes and the high economic cost underscore the continued need for targeted safety interventions. The report highlights that motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of accidental death for teenagers and young adults in Michigan. By providing detailed historical trends and localized data, the document serves as a critical resource for policymakers and safety planners aiming to reduce crash severity and frequency.

Key finding

The 1997 traffic fatality count in Michigan was 1,446, resulting in a death rate of 1.6 per 100 million miles of travel, which represents a 5.9 percent decrease from the 1996 rate of 1.7.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• 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, observational prevalence