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FATALITY FACTS 2011

Collisions with fixed objects and animals

About 20 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths result from a vehicle leaving the roadway and hitting a fixed object alongside the road. Trees, utility poles and traffic barriers are the most common objects struck. About half of the deaths in fixed object crashes occur at night. Alcohol is a frequent contributing factor. Motorists also run off the road because of excessive speeds, falling asleep, inattention or poor visibility. Efforts to reduce these driver errors are only somewhat effective, so it's important to remove fixed objects or avoid putting them along roads in the first place, especially roads where vehicles are more likely to leave the pavement. Less preferred options include using breakaway objects or shielding or increasing the visibility of the objects.

Although far fewer deaths occur in collisions with animals, since 1975 there has been a general upward trend. A majority of these deaths occurr during July-December.

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). For deaths in collisions with fixed objects, the information is based on fatal crashes in which the most harmful event coded was a collision with a fixed object, regardless of whether the first harmful event also was a collision with a fixed object, or was instead another type of crash, such as a collision between two motor vehicles, that in turn led to a collision with a fixed object. Information on the most harmful event became available in FARS in 1979. The information on collisions with animals is based on fatal crashes in which the first harmful event coded was a collision with an animal; many of these collisions involve secondary impacts that are more severe, such as colliding with another vehicle or a tree. Information on the first harmful event has been available since FARS was established in 1975.

Data subsections:

Trends Alcohol Age and gender Crash types When and where crashes occur Collisions with animals

Trends

A total of 7,069 people died in fixed object crashes in 2011, 3 percent fewer than in 2010 and 33 percent fewer than in 1979. The proportion of motor vehicle crash deaths involving collisions with fixed objects has remained between 19 and 23 percent since 1979.

Deaths in fixed object crashes as a percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths, 1979-2011

Year	Fixed object crash deaths		Other deaths		All deaths
Year	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
1979	10,550	21	40,543	79	51,093	100
1980	10,968	21	40,123	79	51,091	100
1981	9,464	19	39,837	81	49,301	100
1982	8,417	19	35,528	81	43,945	100
1983	8,333	20	34,256	80	42,589	100
1984	8,796	20	35,461	80	44,257	100
1985	9,319	21	34,506	79	43,825	100
1986	9,851	21	36,236	79	46,087	100
1987	9,662	21	36,728	79	46,390	100
1988	9,865	21	37,222	79	47,087	100
1989	9,537	21	36,045	79	45,582	100
1990	9,355	21	35,244	79	44,599	100
1991	8,894	21	32,614	79	41,508	100
1992	8,221	21	31,029	79	39,250	100
1993	8,256	21	31,894	79	40,150	100
1994	8,142	20	32,574	80	40,716	100
1995	8,524	20	33,293	80	41,817	100
1996	8,442	20	33,623	80	42,065	100
1997	8,381	20	33,632	80	42,013	100
1998	8,401	20	33,100	80	41,501	100
1999	8,431	20	33,286	80	41,717	100
2000	8,899	21	33,046	79	41,945	100
2001	9,011	21	33,185	79	42,196	100
2002	9,580	22	33,425	78	43,005	100
2003	9,433	22	33,451	78	42,884	100
2004	9,123	21	33,713	79	42,836	100
2005	9,062	21	34,448	79	43,510	100
2006	9,181	21	33,527	79	42,708	100
2007	9,168	22	32,091	78	41,259	100
2008	8,661	23	28,762	77	37,423	100
2009	7,813	23	26,070	77	33,883	100
2010	7,290	22	25,709	78	32,999	100
2011	7,069	22	25,298	78	32,367	100

Trees are the most common fixed object struck. Fifty percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 involved a vehicle striking a tree. Utility poles and traffic barriers were the next most common objects struck, accounting for 13 and 8 percent of deaths, respectively.

Percent distribution of fixed object crash deaths by object struck, 2011

Deaths in fixed object crashes by object struck, 2011

Object struck	Number	%
Tree	3,563	50
Utility pole	910	13
Traffic barrier	573	8
Embankment	447	6
Ditch	224	3
Culvert	197	3
Building	157	2
Bridge pier	151	2
Fence	150	2
Wall	130	2
Highway sign support	119	2
Other	448	6
Total	7,069	100

Alcohol

Forty-three percent of drivers killed in fixed object crashes in 2011 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent. By comparison, 27 percent of drivers killed in other types of fatal crashes had BACs this high. The percentage of drivers killed in fixed object crashes with BACs at or above 0.08 percent declined from 66 percent in 1982 to 43 percent in 2011, a reduction of 35 percent.

Percent of fatally injured drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by crash type, 1982-2011

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by crash type, 1982-2011

Year	Fixed object crashes			Other Crashes			All Crashes
	Driver deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Driver deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Driver deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08
	Number	Number	%	Number	Number	%	Number	Number	%
1982	6,089	3,991	66	18,601	8,148	44	24,690	12,139	49
1983	6,074	3,925	65	18,064	7,618	42	24,138	11,543	48
1984	6,496	4,027	62	19,093	7,472	39	25,589	11,499	45
1985	6,927	4,078	59	18,410	6,608	36	25,337	10,685	42
1986	7,121	4,209	59	19,509	7,201	37	26,630	11,409	43
1987	6,974	3,965	57	19,859	7,093	36	26,833	11,058	41
1988	7,239	3,987	55	20,014	7,116	36	27,253	11,103	41
1989	6,962	3,926	56	19,427	6,711	35	26,389	10,637	40
1990	6,786	3,897	57	18,964	6,498	34	25,750	10,395	40
1991	6,398	3,538	55	17,532	5,947	34	23,930	9,485	40
1992	5,979	3,151	53	16,605	5,301	32	22,584	8,452	37
1993	5,957	3,079	52	17,185	5,243	31	23,142	8,322	36
1994	5,943	2,885	49	17,748	5,028	28	23,691	7,913	33
1995	6,197	3,018	49	18,193	5,289	29	24,390	8,307	34
1996	6,077	2,917	48	18,457	5,258	28	24,534	8,175	33
1997	6,081	2,881	47	18,586	4,962	27	24,667	7,843	32
1998	6,280	2,964	47	18,463	4,870	26	24,743	7,834	32
1999	6,249	2,908	47	19,008	5,010	26	25,257	7,918	31
2000	6,595	3,080	47	18,972	5,086	27	25,567	8,166	32
2001	6,685	3,050	46	19,184	5,203	27	25,869	8,252	32
2002	7,218	3,292	46	19,441	5,224	27	26,659	8,515	32
2003	7,083	3,163	45	19,696	5,191	26	26,779	8,354	31
2004	6,906	3,043	44	19,965	5,112	26	26,871	8,155	30
2005	6,944	3,060	44	20,547	5,430	26	27,491	8,489	31
2006	7,180	3,145	44	20,168	5,433	27	27,348	8,578	31
2007	7,107	3,244	46	19,463	5,374	28	26,570	8,617	32
2008	6,839	3,082	45	17,415	4,879	28	24,254	7,961	33
2009	6,147	2,734	44	15,688	4,479	29	21,835	7,213	33
2010	5,725	2,517	44	15,347	4,062	26	21,072	6,579	31
2011	5,630	2,436	43	15,123	4,071	27	20,753	6,507	31

Age and gender

Twenty-nine percent of drivers killed in fixed object crashes in 2011 were males younger than 30. Overall, males accounted for 81 percent of drivers killed in fixed object crashes in 2011.

Driver deaths in fixed object crashes by age and gender, 2011

Age	Male		Female		Total
Age	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
<16	10	<1	4	<1	14	<1
16-19	378	7	103	2	481	9
20-24	712	13	160	3	872	15
25-29	545	10	111	2	656	12
30-34	452	8	91	2	543	10
35-39	323	6	74	1	397	7
40-44	337	6	74	1	411	7
45-49	361	6	79	1	440	8
50-54	357	6	78	1	435	8
55-59	306	5	56	1	362	6
60-64	244	4	54	1	298	5
65-69	169	3	51	1	220	4
≥70	355	6	144	3	499	9
Total*	4,550	81	1,079	19	5,630	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Crash types

Ninety-five percent of fixed object crash deaths in 2011 occurred in single-vehicle crashes.

Deaths in fixed object crashes by crash type, 2011

Crash type	Deaths	%
Single-vehicle crashes	6,731	95
Multiple-vehicle crashes	338	5
All crashes	7,069	100

Eighteen percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 involved vehicles rolling over.

Deaths in fixed object crashes by rollover occurrence and object struck, 2011

Object struck	Rollover		No rollover		All crashes
Object struck	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Culvert	67	35	130	66	197	100
Boulder	14	31	31	69	45	100
Embankment	124	28	323	72	447	100
Ditch	56	25	168	75	224	100
Bridge rail	17	22	59	78	76	100
Guardrail	76	19	321	81	397	100
Wall	23	18	107	82	130	100
Tree	604	17	2,959	83	3,563	100
Utility pole	146	16	764	84	910	100
Concrete	27	15	149	85	176	100
Bridge pier	21	14	130	86	151	100
Fence	21	14	129	86	150	100
Building	14	9	143	91	157	100
Other post/pole	10	8	109	92	119	100
Curb	8	8	90	92	98	100
Other	31	14	198	86	229	100
Total	1,259	18	5,810	82	7,069	100

About 19 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 involved ejection; 13 percent of the occupants killed were fully ejected, and 6 percent were partially ejected.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths in fixed object crashes by occupant ejection status, 2011

Ejection status	Deaths	%
Not ejected	4,587	80
Fully ejected	751	13
Partially ejected	360	6
Total*	5,720	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

When and where crashes occur

Fourteen percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 occurred on interstates and freeways, 48 percent occurred on other major roads, and 36 percent occurred on minor roads.

Deaths in fixed object crashes by road type, 2011

Road type	Deaths	%
Interstates and freeways	996	14
Other major roads	3,413	48
Minor roads	2,569	36
All road types*	7,069	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Fifty-eight percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 occurred on rural roads.

Deaths in fixed object crashes by land use, 2011

Land use	Deaths	%
Rural	4,129	58
Urban	2,905	41
Total*	7,069	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Forty-six percent of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 occurred on roads with speed limits 55 mph or higher.

Deaths in fixed object crashes by speed limit, 2011

Speed limit	Deaths	%
No limit	18	<1
<35 mph	913	13
35-40 mph	1,483	21
45-50 mph	1,344	19
55+ mph	3,311	46
Total*	7,069	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

About half of deaths in fixed object crashes in 2011 occurred at night (9 p.m.-6 a.m.). The highest proportions of deaths in fixed object crashes occurred between midnight and 3 a.m. (19 percent) and between 9 p.m. and midnight (14 percent).

Deaths in fixed object crashes by time of day, 2011

Hour of day	Deaths	%
Midnight - 3 a.m.	1,340	19
3 a.m. - 6 a.m.	773	11
6 a.m. - 9 a.m.	631	9
9 a.m. - Noon	539	8
Noon - 3 p.m.	817	12
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.	940	13
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.	937	13
9 p.m. - Midnight	1,024	14
Total*	7,069	100
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Collisions with animals

Since 1975 there has been a general upward trend in deaths from collisions with animals. These deaths increased from 89 in 1975 to 199 in 2011. In 2011, 68 percent of the deaths occurred during July-December.

Motor vehicle crash deaths involving collisions with animals, 1975-2011

Motor vehicle crash deaths in collisions with animals by quarter of the year, 1975-2011

Year	Months				Total
Year	Jan-Mar	Apr-Jun	Jul-Sep	Oct-Dec	Total
1975	14	15	28	32	89
1976	15	25	34	25	99
1977	13	15	27	24	79
1978	7	19	34	20	80
1979	16	21	30	35	102
1980	14	22	33	25	94
1981	14	19	43	29	105
1982	10	18	27	27	82
1983	11	28	32	24	95
1984	11	25	33	23	92
1985	12	24	44	24	104
1986	21	29	26	35	111
1987	15	30	35	31	111
1988	14	23	44	37	118
1989	20	33	42	36	131
1990	14	17	39	36	106
1991	23	34	31	34	122
1992	20	27	34	39	120
1993	16	22	27	36	101
1994	20	41	27	43	131
1995	17	29	36	41	123
1996	14	59	38	42	153
1997	17	35	39	45	136
1998	17	36	59	53	165
1999	18	35	46	53	152
2000	29	30	45	46	150
2001	24	51	43	59	177
2002	21	42	57	50	170
2003	23	57	72	60	212
2004	26	55	62	61	204
2005	18	47	57	58	180
2006	26	67	63	66	222
2007	15	64	82	62	223
2008	25	58	70	57	210
2009	24	52	67	41	184
2010	20	62	87	44	213
2011	19	44	71	65	199