Deadly Auto Crashes Up, Despite Less Driving
Santa Barbara County Fire crews extinguish fires from a two vehicle, triple fatal accident that happened on Highway US 101 north of Goleta, Calif., early Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. Chief Craig VanderZwaag/Santa Barbara County Fire via AP
New federal statistics show that a troubling trend with a rise in fatalities on the nation's roadways continued into this year.
Traffic fatalities were up in the U.S. during the first three months of the year, even though Americans were driving fewer miles, according to new federal statistics.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released estimates on Thursday showing 8,730 people died in motor vehicle crashes during the first quarter of 2021, up about 10% from around 7,900 during the time frame last year. That's despite people traveling about 14.9 billion, or 2.1%, fewer miles during the quarter than in 2020.
“We must address the tragic loss of life we saw on the roads in 2020 by taking a transformational and collaborative approach to safety. Everyone – including those who design, operate, build and use the road system – shares responsibility for road safety,” Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s acting administrator said in a statement.
NHTSA points to speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and not wearing seatbelts as key contributors to the fatalities.
Nationwide traffic fatalities had been in the 32,000 to 34,000 range between 2009 and 2014. But they increased in 2015 and during the past five years have been around 36,000 to 38,000. Last year saw an estimated 38,680 deaths from crashes, a 7.2% rise over 2019.
The deaths included in the data cover people who are occupants of vehicles as well as pedestrians and others who are struck.
Alongside the latest statistics, NHTSA released an updated version of a guide that looks at measures to improve safety and cut down on crashes, using steps that have shown to be effective in areas like reducing risks from speeding and drowsy driving and improving bicyclist and motorcyclist safety. The guide can be found here.
Bill Lucia is a senior reporter for Route Fifty and is based in Olympia, Washington.
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