Traffic deaths in the U.S. have declined slightly through the first six months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, according to estimates released by the National Safety Council.

Between January 2023 and June 2023, an estimated 21,150 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States, down 3 percent from the first six months of last year, the agency stated.

“While there is a glimmer of hope that progress is being made, these estimates are still a stark reminder of the work that lies ahead,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at the National Safety Council. “Every life lost on the road is a profound tragedy that leaves a lasting impact on families, friends and communities, and every single one of those deadly crashes was preventable. The estimates further underscore the urgent need for continued efforts to improve road safety across the nation through the implementation of the Safe System approach.”

Somewhat promising was that NSC analysis also showed the decrease in deaths occurred as mileage driven increased 2.3 percent through the first six months of 2023 compared to 2022.

With the decrease in deaths and increase in mileage, the mileage death rate decreased 5.6 percent to 1.34 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled from 1.42 in 2022, the agency noted.

As the nation looks forward to the rest of the year — considered the deadlier half of the year — the agency urged employers, policymakers, community leaders and individuals to come together -in both public and private sectors – to prioritize road safety with the goal of zero traffic fatalities in the United States.

NSC estimates are subject to slight increases and decreases as the data mature. NSC collects fatality data every month from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and uses data from the National Center for Health Statistics, so that deaths occurring within one year of the crash and on both public and private roadways—such as parking lots and driveways—are included in the estimates.