Chapter 4. People

This chapter presents statistics about the Drivers, Passengers, Pedestrians, and Pedalcyclists involved in police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2004. The tables and figures are presented in nine groups: all killed or injured persons, crash-involved drivers, occupants (drivers and passengers), alcohol, restraints, motorcycle related, school bus related, pedestrians, and pedalcyclists. Below are some of the statistics you will find in this section:

• A total of 42,636 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2004. Another 2.8 million people were injured.
• The majority of persons killed or injured in traffic crashes were drivers (64 percent), followed by passengers (29 percent), motorcycle riders (3 percent), pedestrians (3 percent), and pedalcyclists (1 percent).
• Persons 16 to 20 years old had the highest fatality and injury rates per 100,000 population. Children 5 to 9 years old had the lowest fatality rates, and children under 5 years old had the lowest injury rates.
• For every age group, the fatality rate per 100,000 population was lower for females than for males. The injury rate based on population was higher for females than for males in every age group, except for people over 74 years old.
• Of the persons who were killed in traffic crashes in 2004, 39 percent died in alcohol-related crashes. Nine percent of the injured persons received their injuries in alcohol-related crashes.