NHTSA closes two Ford car investigations and new study discloses motor vehicle crashes and fatalities increased in 2012.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it is closing two investigations into more than 800,000 2005-11 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars for rust that led to loss of steering control after Ford said it would inspect 386,000 additional vehicles that weren’t subject to the recall, according to The Detroit News.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also released a study stating motor vehicle crashes and fatalities increased in 2012, after six consecutive years of declining fatalities.

The number of fatalities increased from 32,479 in 2011 to 33,561 in 2012. The NHTSA study does not provide a specific reason for the recent increase.

According to the study, the number of total crashes in 2012 was 5,615,000 – up from 5,338,000 in 2011 – an increase of 5.2 percent.