Vermont had fewer car crash fatalities in 2023 than in the previous two years, according to data from the Vermont Agency of Transportation, but the numbers are still comparatively high.
The two previous years — 2021 and 2022 — were both record 10-year highs in the state, accounting for 74 and 76 deaths, respectively. With 69 car crash fatalities recorded in 2023, it’s tied with 2018 and 2013 for the third largest number of crash fatalities since 2013.
One key metric peaked in 2023: the percent of fatal crashes involving drugs and alcohol. In 2023, 65% of fatal crashes were associated with alcohol and/or drug use, compared with 61% in 2022.
“That's definitely something of note that we just need to do better in Vermont with,” said Mandy Shatney, the agency’s data section manager.
“It's one of those things that people are making a personal decision to do, to take risks behind the wheel, and it's a really difficult thing to figure out why,” Shatney said. “A lot of us sit here and say, oh, yeah, I wear my seat belt. I don't drive impaired, but there's a percentage of people that feel that that's not a bad thing to do, apparently.”
Increasing seat belt use has also been a priority, she said. Since 2019, the percent of car crash deaths in which people opted not to wear a seat belt hovered between 49% and 62%. Fatalities of pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and ATV users are not included in this metric since these people did not have access to a seat belt.
“Usually over 50% of fatalities are unbelted that had the opportunity to use a restraint or a seat belt or any safety features in the car,” Shatney said.
Vermont is not alone in this. The rest of the country also has seen an increase in car crash fatalities in recent years, according to Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute.
Vermont does differ in one area though. While pedestrian fatalities are on the rise elsewhere, they are consistently low in the state.
“I would say if Vermont’s seeing a decrease, then consider yourself lucky,” Jackson said. “Nationally, we're seeing around a 5 to 10% increase in pedestrian fatalities year over year. So the national trend is more and more pedestrians are being killed in crashes.”
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont car crash fatalities begin to tick down after 10-year peak.