U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 13

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13: FIRST AUTO FATALITY

Profile America -- Monday, September 13th.  When Henry Bliss stepped off a streetcar at Central Park West and 74th Street in New York, on this date in 1899, he didn't look, and was hit by an electric taxi.  The accident was the first fatality in the U.S. involving an automobile.  At the time, there were fewer than 8,000 cars in the whole country.  As the number of registered automobiles climbed rapidly, so did the number of deaths.  In 1980, some 53,000 people were killed on the nation's highways.  Since then, safety belts and better car designs have lowered the death toll.  In recent years, the number has hovered around 43,000 to 45,000 fatalities annually, even though the number of cars continues to increase.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  www.citystreets.org/plaque.html

Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 716

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1067

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau