Traffic Deaths Lower in 2014, On the Rise in 2015

Traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Brooklyn, New York City. (Yahoo News/Siemond Chan)
Traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Brooklyn, New York City. (Yahoo News/Siemond Chan)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths fell last year to 32,675, continuing a roughly ten-year-long downward trend. However, federal officials have warned that the first half of 2015 has been worse than the first halves of previous years, with deaths over the first six months up around 8% from where they were at the same point in time last year. The following visualization in your coverage to show the number of traffic deaths each year over the past 20 years.