You asked for a comparison of national and Connecticut motor vehicle fatality rate trends over at least the last 10 years. You specifically wanted to know if Connecticut's fatality rate trend has declined over this period. You also wanted to know how the number of citations for violations of certain motor vehicle violations, such as speeding, reckless, driving, and drunk driving has changed over the last four years.

SUMMARY

Connecticut's motor vehicle fatality rate, based on the comparative measure of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (a standard measure of fatality rates) is consistently less than the national fatality rate. Generally speaking, it has also declined more over time than the national rate has declined. For 2003, the most recent year for which complete breakdowns are available through the national fatality database, Connecticut's fatality rate is 0.94 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) while the national rate is 1.48 fatalities per 100 million VMT. Thus the Connecticut rate is approximately 63.5% of the national rate. Since 1993, Connecticut's fatality rate has declined by 26% while the national fatality rate has declined by 15.4%.

The number of cases processed through the judicial system for speed-related vehicle violations (traveling unreasonably fast and speeding); reckless driving; driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both; and following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent was 234,679 in FY 2002, according to information available in the Judicial Department's database. The total number of cases processed for these violations was 218,652 in FY 2003, 205,120 in FY 2004, and 207,146 in FY 2005. These figures represent the total number of violations that reached the state's judicial system and not the total number of convictions. Once a case is adjudicated in the system, several outcomes are possible, including dismissal of the charge. The case numbers include citations written by both state and local enforcement personnel with authority to enforce motor vehicle laws.

MOTOR VEHICLE FATALITY RATES

The motor vehicle fatality rate for the United States has declined from 1.75 fatalities per 100 million VMT traveled in 1993 to 1.48 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2003. This amounts to a 15.4% decrease in the fatality rate since 1993. For the same period, the Connecticut motor vehicle fatality rate declined from 1.27 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 1993 to 0.94 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2003. This amounts to a decrease in the rate of 26%, significantly more than the decline in the national fatality rate. The Connecticut fatality rate in 1993 was somewhat anomalous at 1.27 in that in the two years prior to 1993 and the two years after 1993 the fatality rate ranged between 1.12 and 1.16. However, even if these lower fatality rates before and after 1993 are considered, Connecticut's fatality rate reduction was still greater at 17.5% that the national fatality rate reduction of 15.4%. The further back the comparison is made, the more favorably Connecticut's fatality rate reductions appear compared to the national rate. For example, the Connecticut fatality rate in 2003 was 63.3% lower than its 1982 fatality rate of 2.56 while the national rate was only 46.4% lower than the 1982 national rate of 2.76.

Table 1 shows the motor vehicle fatalities and fatality rates for the United States and Connecticut for the period from 1990 through 2003. The fatality data are derived from reports compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Preliminary fatality estimates are included for 2004, but fatality rates have not been calculated yet.

Table 1: National and Connecticut Motor Vehicle Fatalities and Fatality Rates Per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled

1990-2003

The U.S. and Connecticut motor vehicle fatality rates from 1990 through 2003 are presented graphically below in Figure 1. Connecticut's fatality rate is subject to slightly larger fluctuations than the national rate, largely due to the smaller samples involved. However, even with these fluctuations, the Connecticut fatality rate is generally only about 65% to 72% of the national fatality rate.

CITATIONS FOR SELECTED MAJOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS

Table 2 shows the number of cases that have been referred to the Judicial Department for adjudication for violation of certain motor vehicle laws for the last four full fiscal years (FY 2002 through FY 2005). The case statistics include: (1) traveling unreasonably fast, (2) speeding, (3) reckless driving, (4) driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, (4) driving with a blood alcohol level of .02% or more if under age 21, (5) following another vehicle too closely, and (6) following another vehicle too closely with intent to harass or intimidate the driver of the preceding vehicle.

The case numbers shown in Table 2 are the total cases that were handled by the judicial system, according to the Judicial Department statistical database. They do not reflect the final disposition of these cases. Thus they should not be interpreted to indicate convictions for these selected offenses, only the total number of cases that went through the system based on citations written by state police, local police, Department of Motor Vehicles inspectors, and any other law enforcement

personnel with authority to enforce motor vehicle laws. Once a case goes through the judicial system, several outcomes are possible, including the charge being nolled.

State laws differentiate in terms of the fines levied for violations in certain situations. For example, violations that occur in designated highway work zones, utility work zones, or school zones result in higher fines than those that occur elsewhere. The laws also differentiate in some cases when violations involve commercial vehicles rather than noncommercial vehicles. For simplicity in this response, we have not separated the statistics to reflect this. The numbers provided are totals for all violations that occurred.

Table 2: Selected Traffic Offenses Referred to Judicial Department for Adjudication—FYs 2002-2005

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