Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that traffic fatalities in Michigan have decreased by 7.9% during the first six months of 2025.

According to the department, 453 people died in a traffic crash across the state between January and June, compared to 492 people in the first half of 2024. 

In the U.S., 17,140 people nationwide were killed in a crash during the first half of the year, compared to 18,680 in 2024. Additionally, the second quarter of 2025 (April to June) represented the 13th consecutive quarterly decrease in fatal crashes since the first quarter of 2022.

Officials say there was an increase in vehicle miles traveled by 12.1 billion miles in the first half of 2025. As a result, data showed there was a decrease of 1.06 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled in 2025 compared to 1.16 fatalities per 100 million miles in the first half of 2024.

Meanwhile, a study from Michigan State Police found that work-zone fatalities increased by 17% across the state in 2024 compared to 2023. There was also an increase in crashes involving bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Authorities say distracted driving is one of the major issues in traffic crashes. According to the NHTSA, 3,275 people in the U.S. were killed and over 320,000 people were injured in a crash related to distracted driving in 2023.

"They either have their phone in their hand. There's other distractions in the car that may take their eyes off the road, and they're just not paying attention to what they're supposed to be doing," Michigan State Police Lieutenant Ashley Miller told CBS News Detroit in August.

Another leading cause of fatal crashes is drunk driving. Data show that more than 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in a drunk driving crash in 2023. Other causes include speeding, poor road conditions and drowsy driving.