1998 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts

NHTSA · 1999 · ROSA P / Michigan. Office of Highway Safety Planning

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Summary

This document presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of traffic safety in Michigan for the year 1998, compiled by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute for the Office of Highway Safety Planning. The report addresses the state’s traffic crash trends, providing a detailed account of fatalities, injuries, and crash frequencies to inform highway safety programs. It highlights a positive trend in safety outcomes despite increased exposure factors, such as rising vehicle registrations and travel mileage. The data is derived from 1998 Michigan Traffic Crash Report Forms (UD-10) submitted by local police, sheriff jurisdictions, and the Department of State Police, supplemented by information from the Departments of Transportation, State, and Community Health. The report categorizes crashes by severity, driver demographics, alcohol involvement, and roadway conditions. It defines specific metrics, such as the death rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and distinguishes between fatal, injury, and property-damage-only crashes. The analysis covers statewide statistics as well as specific focus areas including age groups, alcohol consumption, and deer-related incidents. In 1998, Michigan recorded 1,367 traffic fatalities, a 5.5 percent decrease from 1997, and 131,578 injuries, down 4.3 percent. Total reported crashes fell 5.2 percent to 403,766. The death rate declined to 1.5 per 100 million miles of travel, a 6.3 percent drop from the previous year. Despite these improvements, exposure factors increased: motor vehicle registrations rose 1.4 percent to 8.23 million, and vehicle travel mileage increased 2.7 percent to 91.6 billion. Alcohol remained a critical factor, involved in 38.5 percent of fatal crashes and 22.9 percent of injury or death crashes. Notably, 62.4 percent of alcohol-related fatal crashes involved only one vehicle. Excessive speed was cited as a hazardous action in 15.3 percent of fatal crashes. The economic cost of these crashes totaled approximately $9.55 billion. The findings underscore the persistent impact of alcohol and single-vehicle crashes on fatality rates, even as overall safety metrics improve. The report identifies specific vulnerabilities, such as the high proportion of pedestrian deaths occurring outside intersections and the significant economic burden of crashes on the state. By providing granular data on driver age, restraint usage, and crash types, the document serves as a technical resource for policymakers and safety planners aiming to reduce deaths and injuries through targeted interventions.

Key finding

Michigan experienced a 5.5 percent decrease in traffic fatalities and a 6.3 percent decrease in the death rate per 100 million miles traveled in 1998 compared to 1997, despite increases in vehicle registrations and travel mileage.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities
• comparative international
• crash typology
• sex gender

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