Traffic deaths down slightly last year

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Traffic deaths in the United States dropped to a record low last year, according to figures released Monday by the Department of Transportation.

In 2006, 42,642 people were killed in traffic accidents, a drop of 868, or roughly 2 percent, from 2005. That amounts to 1.42 people per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the lowest rate ever recorded, according to the DOT.

Those figures include 30,251 fatalities in passenger vehicles - a category that includes cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and pickups - which is the lowest annual total since 1993, according to the DOT.

"Tough safety requirements and new technologies are helping to make our vehicles safer and our roads less deadly," DOT secretary Mary Peters said in announcement.

Compared to 2005, injuries in passenger vehicle crashes declined 6.2 percent.

Alcohol-related deaths rose slightly compared to 2005, however, going from 15,102 to 15,121.

Motorcycle fatalities increased by 5.1 percent, marking the ninth consecutive increase for motorcycle deaths.

Drunk-driving enforcement will continue to be a priority for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is part of the DOT, NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason said in an announcement.