PROVIDENCE – The number of people killed on Rhode Island roadways rose dramatically in 2023 year over year, according to estimates released Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the NHTSA data, 72 motorists died on Rhode Island highways in 2023, a 38.5% increase from 52 reported in 2022.
Rhode Island was the lone New England state and one of 15 nationally that saw an increase in fatalities, according to the report. Thirty-five states experienced decreases in fatalities in 2023 as compared to 2022.
Among the New England states, Maine saw a 25% drop in traffic deaths year over year in 2023, according to the report. Massachusetts had 19.8% fewer traffic fatalities in 2023 followed by New Hampshire with 11.6% less. Connecticut saw 10.3% decrease in 2023 while Vermont had a 9.4% drop.
Across the nation, traffic deaths fell 3.6% last year, but still, almost 41,000 people were killed on the nation's roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was the second year in a row that fatalities decreased. The agency also released final numbers for 2022 on Monday, saying that 42,514 people died in crashes.
NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said that traffic deaths declined in the fourth quarter of last year, marking the seventh straight quarterly drop that started with the second quarter of 2022.
Authorities have said that even with a decline, the number of deaths is still too high. Shulman blamed the problem in part on distracted driving. In 2022, an estimated 3,308 people were killed in crashes that involved distracted drivers, while 289,310 were injured.
Almost 20% of people killed in distracted driving crashes were people outside of vehicles including pedestrians, bicyclists and others, she said.
"Distracted driving is extremely dangerous," she said while kicking off a rebranded campaign against it called "Put the Phone Away or Pay." The agency will start an advertising campaign this month, and law enforcement officers will crack down on the behavior in a campaign from April 4-8.
Traffic deaths spiked in 2021 with a 10.5% increase over 2020 as people started driving more as the COVID-19 pandemic started to ease. That was the highest number since 2005 and the largest percentage increase since 1975.
At the time, authorities blamed the increase on speeding and more reckless behavior, as well as distracted driving.
Part of the increase in crash deaths then was due to people driving more as the coronavirus pandemic waned. NHTSA reported that the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased 2.2% to 1.37 in 2021.
Final 2023 numbers are expected to be released next year.
(Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.)
