Motor vehicle-related death rates--United States, 1999-2005.

In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, 45,520 deaths in the United States were related to motor vehicles. A Healthy People 2010 objective calls for reducing the rate of deaths related to motor vehicles to 9.2 per 100,000 population from a baseline of 15.6 in 1998. To assess progress toward the Healthy People objective and to examine characteristics of motor vehicle--related death rates, CDC analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) for the period 1999--2005. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that, during 1999--2005, although annual age-adjusted motor vehicle--related death rates overall were nearly unchanged (range: 15.2--15.7 per 100,000 population), substantial differences were observed by state, U.S. Census region, sex, race, and age group. Among states, the average annual death rate ranged from 7.9 per 100,000 population in Massachusetts to 31.9 in Mississippi. Among regions, the rate ranged from 9.8 per 100,000 population in the Northeast to 19.5 in the South. The rate for men (21.7 per 100,000 population) was more than double the rate for women (9.4); the rate for American Indians/Alaska Natives (27.2) was nearly twice the rate for whites (15.7) and blacks (15.2), and the rate for persons aged 15--24 years (26.8) was 74% higher than the average annual rate overall (15.4). Additional analysis and research to determine the causes of geographic and demographic variations in motor vehicle--related deaths might result in more effective targeted interventions among the states, regions, and populations at greatest risk.