U.S. traffic deaths fall 1% in 2018 -- preliminary report

U.S. traffic deaths fell 1% in 2018 to 36,750 even as pedestrian and bicyclist deaths rose, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a preliminary report Monday.

The auto safety agency said pedestrian deaths were projected to rise 4 percent and bicyclist deaths by 10 percent. The overall traffic fatality rate was projected to drop to 1.14 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, the lowest rate since 2014. Pedestrian deaths accounted for 16% of all U.S traffic deaths in 2017, up from 12% in 2009.