The National Safety Council released its preliminary estimate of 2013 vehicle fatalities this week. The 35,200 figure represents an approximately three percent decrease over 2012 but a 1.5 percent increase over 2011.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which also keeps track of fatalities, will release its 2013 statistics at the end of the year. Expect NHTSA’s numbers to be lower based on the way its data is collected.
According to a Christian Science Monitor report today, the nonprofit NSC includes accidents on private property and deaths occurring up to a year after the accident. NHTSA, a part of the federal Department of Transportation, counts accidents on public roads only, and only those deaths which occur within 30 days of an accident.