Arkansas Profile

Traffic crashes take an enormous toll on Arkansas's economy and more importantly on the health and lives of Arkansans.  According to data from the Highway Safety Office of the Arkansas State Police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Every day in Arkansas, on average two people die in traffic crashes.

• In 2006, Arkansas reported 67,485 motor vehicle crashes; 596 were fatal and included 665 fatalities.  This is a 1.7% increase in fatalities over 2005.

• Arkansas's rate of traffic fatalities in 2006 was 23.7 per 100,000 people - 1.7 times higher than the national average of 14.2 fatalities per 100,000 people and 3.7 times higher than the state with the lowest rate at 6.4 fatalities per 100,000 people.

• The overall economic impact of traffic crashes in Arkansas was estimated to be $1.965 billion in 2002.

• Less than two out of three Arkansans routinely use their safety belts.

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, if Arkansas converted to a primary safety belt law, the state could expect a 12 percentage point gain in safety belt use, which over one year would:

  • prevent 50 fatalities.

  • prevent 530 serious nonfatal injuries.

  • save $104 million in economic costs.

Resources:

Hospital Costs and Safety Belt Use in Arkansas

Highway Safety Office of the Arkansas State Police Crash Statistics

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration