Grim news from America's roads: Across the country, more people are dying in car accidents.
The number of traffic fatalities in the U.S. increased 5.3 percent last year, jumping to 34,080 deaths, according to a preliminary estimate made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's the first time in seven years the number has increased.
In 2011, traffic deaths had numbered 32,367. The increase had been somewhat expected, as motorists drove 0.3 percent more miles thanks to an improving economy in 2012, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
The rise in overall deaths is just one aspect of why experts are concerned.
Traffic deaths are increasing in every conceivable category. They increased in the Northeast (15 percent), South (10 percent) and West (9 percent). They increased in the winter, spring, summer and fall, according to NHTSA.
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