DETROIT (AP) — Preliminary state statistics show that 2016 was the deadliest year since 2007 for drivers in Michigan.
At least 1,021 people were killed in Michigan vehicle accidents last year, The Detroit Free Press reported. The number of total crashes was 301,525.
Ann Readett with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning said the number could increase as more reports come in. She notes the number could also decrease if a cause of death is determined to be a medical problem unrelated to the crash.
The number of traffic fatalities in Michigan dipped to a record low of 817 in 2009 but began gradually increasing by about 15 percent in the six years that followed, according to State Police data.
In 2007, there were 1,084 traffic fatalities in the state.
Experts say the recent increase in road deaths could be due to an improving economy, lower gas prices and possible increased texting and driving.
Carol Flannagan, a University of Michigan researcher, said the Great Recession’s uptick in unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies caused a national decline in the number of younger, riskier drivers, particularly in rural areas.
National traffic-crash data shows a 21 percent decline in U.S. traffic fatalities between 2007 and 2011.
Drivers younger than 25, known as a particularly risky demographic on the roads, are shown to drive more during better economic times, Flannagan said.
