The United States has fallen to the ninth-safest nation to drive in from first over the past 30 years, the New York Times reported on November 27, based on a review of global fatality rates adjusted for distances traveled among industrialized nations. If the United States had kept pace with Australia and Canada, about 2,000 fewer Americans would die because of traffic accidents every year, the Times said. If it had the same fatality rate as England, it would save 8,500 lives a year. Safety experts cited several reasons the United States had fallen in the rankings including lower seat-belt use, a big increase in deaths among motorcyclists and the proliferation of large vehicles. The World Health Organization said traffic accidents will become the world's third-leading cause of death and disability by 2020, up from ninth today.
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