Traffic deaths in Michigan fell by 5 percent last year, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
- 937 people in Michigan were killed in 2010,
- 889 in 2011.
Nationally, road deaths fell by almost 2-percent during 2011.
Communications manager for the Office of Highway Safety Planning Anne Readette said a decline in drunk driving and high seat belt use helped the situation.
"Just a few years ago, Michigan had a 98 percent [seat] belt use rate... and we know that certainly has played a significant role in what we're seeing in traffic deaths," said Readette.
Readett said her office focuses on communicating their latest safety messages to young men - the drivers most likely to drink and drive and to not wear seat belts.
Here are a few more notable items from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning's press release:
- Cell phone-involved crashes decreased from 881 in 2010 to 821 in 2011. Cell phone-involved fatal crashes increased from four in 2010 to six in 2011. (Michigan cannot track crashes involving texting specifically.)
- Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities fell 23 percent, from 95 in 2010 to 73 in 2011.
- Motorcyclist fatalities dropped 13 percent, from 125 in 2010 to 109 in 2011.
- Bicyclist fatalities were down 17 percent, from 29 in 2010 to 24 in 2011.
- Pedestrian fatalities increased 6 percent, from 131 in 2010 to 140 in 2011.
- The number of car-deer crashes declined 4 percent, from 55,867 in 2010 to 53,592 in 2011.
