Report: 35% Of Traffic Deaths In Detroit Involve A Speeding Driver

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DETROIT (WWJ) - A new report shows that Detroit is one of the worst cities in the nation for speeding-related traffic deaths. 

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that despite the risks, approximately 70 percent of American drivers report speeding at least some of the time. Each year, speeding kills about 10,000 people and is responsible for nearly 30 percent of all motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. 

Since 2005, the speeding-related fatal accident rate has decreased nationwide by about 34 percent, from 4.2 to 2.7 per 100,000 people in 2017. Despite improvements to the speeding fatality rate at the national level, there is significant regional variation.

To determine which cities suffer the most from speeding-related fatalities, researchers at 360 Quote analyzed data from the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2013-2017. They found that speeding tends to account for a higher percentage of traffic fatalities in the Southeast and Midwest. 

The analysis found that Detroit ranks 39 out of 111 cities when it comes to traffic deaths involving a speeding driver. Other key figures for Detroit include: 
  • Share of all traffic fatalities involving speeding (2013-2017): 35.4%
  • Annual speeding-related fatality rate (2013-2017): 6.1 per 100,000
  • Total speeding-related fatalities (2013-2017): 209
  • Total traffic fatalities (2013-2017): 591

For reference, these are statistics for the entire U.S.:

  • Share of all traffic fatalities involving speeding (2013-2017): 27.7%
  • Annual speeding-related fatality rate (2013-2017): 3.0 per 100,000
  • Total speeding-related fatalities (2013-2017): 48,940
  • Total traffic fatalities (2013-2017): 176,400

As far as the worst city for speeding-related deaths, that designation goes to North Las Vegas, Nevada, with 53.9%. The cities