Detroit — Motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the first half of the year were down 7.9% in Michigan, less than an 8.2% national decrease, according to estimates released Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Road deaths increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new data was an early indicator of a potential fourth consecutive year of declines. An estimated 17,140 people died in motor vehicle crashes from January through June 2025, down from 18,680 fatalities during the same period in 2024. In Michigan, fatalities fell to 453 in the first half of the year from 492.

The national year-over-year decline was the largest for the first half of the year since before 2013. Large, heavy vehicles, distracted driving and other risky behaviors create risks for drivers,

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