Fewer deaths than initially projected for the second half of 2003, helped by more seat belt use, pushed overall U.S. highway fatalities down for the year to 42,643.
Using actual, updated figures, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revised the 13-year high of 43,220 deaths it reported earlier.
Deaths involving drunk driving and vehicle rollover declined, regulators said, and NHTSA administrator Jeffrey Runge attributed the drop in fatalities to a 4-per-cent increase in seat belt use nationwide.
The fatality rate for every 100 million vehicle miles travelled was 1.48 in 2003, down from 1.51 in 2002. While the actual number of rollover deaths declined 3.3 per cent in 2003, rollover fatalities associated with sport-utility vehicles rose 6.8 per cent.
